Trying to figure out what a 20, 21 year old is going to do with his life is tough. Especially when these guys are agentless and are told different things by different people with different interests.Still, with the 5 p.m. ET deadline for NBA Draft prospects who still have college eligibility and not signed with an agent looming, let's take a look at who has to make the big decisions today.
Chase Budinger (Arizona): He says he could come back to school, but even his coach says he'd be nuts to. He'll be a midround pick and the kind of guy who a team late in the first round won't be able to pass up.
Ty Lawson (North Carolina): I think Lawson is in. He seemed as if he was trying to find a reason to leave Carolina and he seems to have a lock on getting picked in the first round (Nuggets, Spurs). This isn't an elite point guard draft and Lawson would fit certain teams.
Bill Walker (Kansas State): This is a tough one. Even before his injury, no one really knew where Walker's value was. He was the perfect example of a guy who someone could take a chance in the 20s ... or he could fall out of the first round altogether. Initial reports say he tore his meniscus which means his pre-draft workouts are over. I think Walker comes back to school if he doesn't get any better news on his knee.Wayne Ellington (North Carolina): I think Ellington is a bit stung by the fact that NBA teams don't draft guys who have a streaky shot and little else. Since the workouts have began, his stock has fallen and I don't see anyone really using a first rounder on him. Back to school.
Richard Hendrix (Alabama): Hendrix probably won't be a first rounder but could get drafted early in the second round and make an NBA team because of his toughness. The knock on him is size ... which is something that he can't go back to Bama and work on. I think he stays in the draft.
Ryan Anderson (California): Same boat as Hendrix. He's a guy who is hearing good things from teams in the 25-40 range which will probably keep him in the draft.
Jamont Gordon (Miss State): While I don't think he'll get a guarantee to be a first rounder, he is the kind of combo guard that teams drafting late in the round will take a long look at. I think he stays in the draft.
Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga): I don't see Pargo's getting the love to be a first round pick. Teams picking in the back end of the draft really aren't interested in (sometime) wreckless point guards who isn't a really good shooter. Back to school.
A.J. Abrams (Texas): There are several draft sites to don't see him even being drafted. This brings an interesting dilemma for Abrams: if he keeps his name in the draft, doesn't sign with an agent, then doesn't get drafted ... he can still go back to school. Call it the Randolph Morris situation. Ultimately, I think Abrams will be a Longhorn next year, but who knows what route he'll take.
Robert Vaden (UAB): Here is an interesting one. Vaden was dominant during his lone season at UAB ... yet really isn't high on anyone's draft radar (he's a mid-second round pick right now). He's also 23 years old right now, which is old even in the old days. If he stays in school, he'll be 24 when the '09 draft comes and may see his draft stock stay the same. I think he goes just because it won't help him much if he stays.
Danny Green (North Carolina): Shame on us, I guess, but most of us treated his NBA Draft status as a joke. Dude's got a lot of stuff going on and it would have been a bit irresponsible if he didn't test the waters, just to see what things he needed to work on. I really feel he'll go back to college and have a huge year.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (UCLA): I don't see him getting drafted at all and should head back to the Bruins.
