Going Pro or No? ACC Players Who Should Wait To Make the Leap to the NBA

Going Pro Or No? ACC Players Who Should Wait To Make The Leap To The NBA.

The University of North Carolina and Duke University are just two of the several ACC schools that could lose key players to the NBA draft this season.

Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are likely victims to the fast growing trend of jumping to the NBA at a very early age. Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler from Duke are also two players that may make the decision to leave college early for the high-flying NBA.

Below are the outlooks for four of the ACC's finest teams and programs over the past several years, highlighting several players who should stay in school or depart for the NBA early.

North Carolina

Though the thought of having four starters leave for the NBA is a possibility, Carolina will still have a great season because of their high-rated and talented recruits.

Next season, UNC will be welcoming an outstanding recruiting class in twin centers Travis and David Wear, power forward John Henson, and guards Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland.

As well as having a great recruiting class, UNC has just found out that their young, up-and-coming center Ed Davis will be returning next year to help form a very potent Carolina front line.

Outlook: Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington will likely depart for the NBA. Though the loss of these talented guards will hurt UNC's high-powered offense, the 2009-2010 recruiting class should play very efficient for Roy William's Tar Heels.

Duke

The 2008-2009 Blue Devils showed heart and talent when winning the ACC Championship in March. A big reason for the run in the tournament was the constantly improving play of star guard Gerald Henderson. Henderson has blossomed into a star under three years playing for Coach K.

As a Junior, Henderson has the option to return to Duke for his Senior year and improve his chances of a higher draft pick. Sophomore forward Kyle Singler was the 2007-2008 ACC Freshman of the year, and for good reason.

Singler is a great inside-out big man who can efficient play in the post, as well as shoot the three. His presence in the post is an advantage in itself for the undersized Devils.

Outlook: Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler should each consider returning to Duke for their Senior and Junior years respectively. Henderson should work on his three point shooting during his last year, as he will likely be asked to play shooting guard in the NBA.

Singler could also benefit from another year under the leadership of Coach K. Becoming an even more proficient shooter could pay dividends for Singler in the long run.

Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons from the 2008-2009 were a very young group of players. Lead by Jeff Teague and James Johnson, each Sophomores, the Deacons finished tied for second with Duke in the final ACC standings before being upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Cleveland State.

Inexperience led to the upset, along with the inability of developing an efficient go-to guy during the season. Teague flashed signs of greatness during the season, making plays that former great Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets use to produce.

Al-Farouq Aminu, a Freshman center, has already decided to stay in school and return for his Sophomore year.

Outlook: Wake Forest has just discovered that James Johnson will hire an agent and leave school early to make the leap for the NBA. Jeff Teague is also testing the waters of the NBA, but will not hire an agent.

Jeff Teague is a great player that Wake Forest can not afford to lose, and if he does decide to stay another year, he will transition into the Deacons go-to guy, becoming the leader of a very young team. Teague, along with Aminu, will take charge of the Deacons and lead them to greatness during the 2009-2010 season.

Clemson

Under the leadership of Oliver Purnell, the Clemson Tigers have become a physical and formidable team vying for the ACC Championship in each of the last three seasons. The recent success at Clemson has been caused by the outstanding play of K.C. Rivers and Trevor Booker.

Rivers will be graduating from Clemson this year, and although Clemson will lack his leadership on the court, the Tigers have several other players that will be battling for the starting point guard position, including sharp-shooting guard Terrence Oglesby.

Outlook: The Tigers will miss Rivers three-point shooting and leadership qualities next year, but have several other talented guards that are ready to take his place.

The Tigers will benefit, however, from the return of Trevor Booker for his Senior year. The following years under Oliver Purnell should be great ones for Clemson, possessing talented and physical power forwards.