PHOENIX -- Though Jahii Carson was considered a mid- to late-first round prospect following his redshirt freshman season at Arizona State, the point guard decided to return for one more season in Tempe. A year later, Carson went undrafted.
ASU center Jordan Bachynski also went undrafted Thursday, meaning both will likely have to earn NBA opportunities in the Summer League.
Carson's fall was a greater surprise than center Bachynski's name not being called. He was typically pegged as one of the draft's best 60 players and rated by ESPN's draft analysts as the best remaining player during the final stages of Thursday's second round.
At 5-foot-11, Carson drew skepticism over his size and sometimes inconsistent scoring but showed elite quickness and scoring ability. He decided after his redshirt freshman season (2012-13) that he would go pro after one more year at ASU and never wavered from that even in the face of strong sentiment near the end of the season that he should change course and return for a third season.
Bachynski, meanwhile, boosted his stock in his senior season, setting the all-time Pac-12 blocks record and displaying a toughness that paired well with his size. He worked out for a number of teams, including the Raptors, Pacers and Spurs, all of which owned picks in the final four of the draft.
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