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Underclassmen Declaring for NBA Draft

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Time To Go Pro!

Besides Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, and Michael "We'll Beat Them [Kansas] in Africa" Beasley, Joakim Noah's suitwhat other underclass men's players are looking at the riches and bench time of the NBA?

Syracuse

Syracuse's Donte' Greene and his terrible shot selection (I smell a Tim Thomas coming on!), who supposedly is planning on selecting an agent. So the haters start dissing him on Facebook.

Dear St. John's fans: I know we're all haters, but even if another Omar Cook moment comes around, let's be better than this.

Louisville

Earl Clark wants to go pro, and plans to stay in the draft. Would he make more money if he came out next year? Who's to say. Probably, since the incoming freshman class isn't as one-and-done good as this year's.

West Virginia

Joe Alexander, who probably needs another year to turn more heads and increase his draft slot; West Virginia is going to be serious next year, no doubt. With some more accuracy from beyond the arc, he could make the big time... though Draft Express is thinking he's a late first-round pick.

More colleges and early draft entrants after the jump.

Alabama

Injured guard Ronald Steele and Richard Hendrix have both put their names in the NBA draft hat. Hendrix has a chance... Steele is a broken toy and needs to show he can play again.

Alabama-Birmingham

Robert Vaden is testing the draft waters. He'll be back.

Florida

Sophomore forward Mareese Speights is declaring, but not hiring an agent. That might be a good idea. Not that I am an arbiter of draft stock, but I ain't barely heard of him.

Texas

What about DJ Augustin? He says he will decide in two weeks.

Texas A&M
Texas A&M's DeAndre Jordan, who is 7 feet tall and blessed with a wide body, is going profesisonal. We knew that.

BYU

Trent Plaisted, who I'd hardly heard of (he's nearly on the west coast) but apparently is a skilled and mobile 6'11 forward, is also declaring. But he's not hiring an agent. Good move, he might be a second round pick.

Arizona

Jerryd Bayless - a possible top ten pick after his freshman year with the Wildcats - is going pro. Chase Budinger has entered his name, and I think that is a good idea - unless he learns to play some defense, he's not going to be much better than he is now, an athletic kid with an excellent jumper who will be a mid-first round pick.

Nevada

JaVale McGee is taking his sick skill set to the pros.

UCLA

Kevin Love, Darren Collison, and Russell Westbrook may all try the draft waters, with Westbrook the more iffy of the three... but all may be first-round picks. But there's no draft sea. Why are we always talking about draft waters? Coach Ben Howland recommends that none of them sign with an agent, and hopes they finish their academic work.

USC

OJ Mayo is going. Everyone knew that. I'm sure he's just itching to play with Master P's son L'il Romeo, but I think he'd rather have the money. NBA Draft.net has him 3rd , and Draft Express has him 5th.