NBA Lockout: 10 Rookies Who Would Have Been Better off Staying in the NCAA
Now that the NBA looks like it's going to remain locked out for the entire 2011-12 season, some of the incoming rookie prospects may be regretting their decisions to leave college early for an NBA that isn't there.
Some players drafted in 2011 had no choice but to go pro because they had used up all of their collegiate eligibility. Others, like Kemba Walker, had simply proven all that they needed to prove in college. Others still, like Kyrie Irving, capitalized on their draft stock being higher than it ever would be again.
But these 10 players would have been better off staying in the NCAA.
Alec Burks
1 of 10Alec Burks would currently be playing alongside Andre Roberson in a very talented Colorado backcourt, making the Buffaloes a top-tier team in all of college basketball.
Burks declared for the draft after his sophomore season when he averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Can you imagine the numbers he'd be throwing up this year?
The amazing thing is, the lanky Burks still has a lot of work to do on his game. As good as he is at scoring, his long-range shot could stand to improve quite a bit.
Jordan Hamilton
2 of 10If Jordan Hamilton had stayed with the Texas Longhorns for his junior year, he'd help the team actually be ranked early in the season while lining up right next to talented freshman Myck Kabongo.
As a sophomore, Hamilton averaged 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists, numbers that would likely have stayed about the same if he'd remained in college.
But if this all-around scorer had proved that he wasn't just a flash in the pan and could overcome his limited athleticism for a lengthy amount of time, he'd likely become a lottery pick.
Tobias Harris
3 of 10If Tobias Harris could get in better shape by cutting Swedish Fish out of his diet, then he clearly has an incredible work ethic.
By that logic, there's no telling how good this undersized big man could have been during his sophomore season in orange for the Tennessee Volunteers.
I completely understand why Harris left after the turmoil of the Bruce Pearl saga, but this season could have been different. He averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game as a frosh and the sky was the limit.
Tyler Honeycutt
4 of 10Tyler Honeycutt was expected to be a first-round draft pick in 2011, but he dropped into the second round. If he'd spent just one more year in UCLA, that would not have happened.
Honeycutt is incredibly athletic and has quite a few skills on the offensive end of the court, but he never really put everything together for the Bruins. During his sophomore season he topped out at 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
The 6'8" forward would have been one of the best players in the Pac-12 as a junior and his stock would have soared, just like he so often did during games.
Cory Joseph
5 of 10Cory Joseph was run out of Austin, Texas by the prospect of having to sit behind talented freshman point guard Myck Kabongo, but he still would have received plenty of opportunities to improve with the Longhorns.
Joseph didn't have the most impressive freshman season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. His game needs improvement, yet he still managed to receive first-round money.
Even if he didn't get a lot of playing time with Kabongo in town, Joseph still would have become a much better player.
Kawhi Leonard
6 of 10I'm still not convinced that Kawhi Leonard is going to be a great NBA player, although my fears were drastically reduced when the San Antonio Spurs showed confidence in him.
The problem is that Leonard is good at everything but doesn't have a single skill that stands out. I would have liked to see him spend one more season at San Diego State and really work on one aspect of his game.
As a sophomore, Leonard averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He likely would have had similar numbers as a junior, but he could have made himself into a much more NBA-ready player.
Travis Leslie
7 of 10It still boggles my mind when I think about Travis Leslie jumping from his sophomore season at Georgia straight to the NBA. Yes, I used the word "jumping" for a reason there.
Leslie was the most athletic player in the 2011 draft class and dazzled fans time after time with high-flying blocks, fast-break dunks and incredible alley-oop finishes.
But no matter how exciting he was to watch as a Bulldog, he was much more of an athlete than a basketball player. Leslie needed to spend at least one more year in Athens working on his jumpshot and basketball skills.
The athleticism that got him drafted wasn't going anywhere.
Josh Selby
8 of 10I find it difficult to even say that Josh Selby went to Kansas for a year.
The uber-athletic guard merely went through the motions during his freshman season with the Jayhawks and quickly did everything he could to disassociate himself with the university as soon as Kansas was eliminated from March Madness.
He was considered a lottery prospect before last season started, but averaged just 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a freshman while displaying a bad attitude the entire season.
If he screwed his head on straight and actually tried for one year, he would have been a lottery pick, not a mid-second-round pick.
Trey Thompkins
9 of 10Before the 2010-11 season started, Trey Thompkins was a surefire lottery pick with the potential to be selected in the top 10 of the 2011 NBA Draft.
But a preseason ankle injury got his junior season for the Georgia Bulldogs off to a bad start and he never fully recovered, failing to live up to the preseason expectations that were upon his shoulders.
Thompkins had a productive season in Athens, averaging 16.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, numbers that were all lower than his averages as a sophomore. He underachieved all year and showed an astounding lack of heart at the end of almost every close game.
On top of that, Thompkins showed up to the draft combine with a higher body fat percentage than any other prospect. It was just one more way for him to prove that he lacked the motivation necessary to be great.
If Thompkins stayed at Georgia for his senior season, he would have had a chance to prove all the naysayers wrong and bounce back in a big way.
Jordan Williams
10 of 10When Jordan Williams was drafted at No. 36 by the New Jersey Nets, this is what I had to say:
"When you look at Jordan Williams, you can’t help but see the broad shoulders and 6’9” body that makes him appear to be the next big thing at power forward. But then you notice the layer of baby fat that is still present and are forced to question his conditioning.
Williams played quite well during his second season for the Maryland Terrapins during the 2010-2011 campaign, averaging 16.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, but he may still have been better off going back for one more season of...well, seasoning.
The power forward is a great competitor and plays with a tremendous amount of energy and drive. For example, he took a lot of time between his freshman and sophomore seasons to work on his post moves and they improved dramatically.
"
My stance hasn't changed one tiny bit. As much as he improved during his freshman and sophomore seasons, Williams could have become an absolute stud as a junior.
Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
