A few things to know about the NBA draft, now that the league has released its official list of declared underclassmen (entire list below):
1. Prospects are not allowed to miss class to work out for pro teams. So while some college seniors might start touring NBA cities for individual workouts this week, the majority of potential lottery picks won’t be making rounds until school is out.
2. The good news is NBA scouts and general managers can now have direct contact with underclassmen -- something they weren’t permitted to do before the league released the declared list late last week.
3. A lot of NBA folks are currently in Kentucky to watch coach John Calipari’s pre-draft combine of four Wildcats -- freshman guard Brandon Knight, freshman forward Terrance Jones, junior swingman DeAndre Liggins and senior big man Josh Harrellson. Knight and Jones are expected lottery picks. The workouts will be conducted and observed by NBA personnel. You can expect other college coaches to copy Calipari’s bright idea. If not this spring, then certainly next year.
4. New Jersey, Houston and New York will conduct a workout of some of the top prospects this weekend at the Nets’ practice facility. All NBA teams are expected to be represented.
5. Underclassmen have until Saturday to decide whether or not to remain in the draft. Top prospect Kyrie Irving of Duke (a freshman) has already signed with an agent.
6. The NBA-sponsored draft combine will be held May 18-21 in Chicago. Prospects will be available to speak with the media about their workouts during the camp’s first two days.
List of U.S. Early-Entry Prospects
Olu Ashaolu, Louisiana Tech, 6-7, Junior
Keion Bell, Pepperdine, 6-3, Junior
Jacob Blankenship, Southeastern (Fla.), 6-9, Junior
Laurence Bowers, Missouri, 6-8, Junior
Alec Burks, Colorado, 6-6, Sophomore
DeAngelo Casto, Washington State, 6-8, Junior
Roscoe Davis, Midland JC (Texas), 6-10, Freshman
Mamadou Diarra, Chaminade (Hawaii), 7-0, Junior
TyShwan Edmondson, Austin Peay, 6-4, Junior
Kim English, Missouri, 6-6, Junior
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh, 6-2, Junior
Troy Gillenwater, New Mexico State, 6-8, Junior
Jeremy Green, Stanford, 6-4, Junior
Jordan Hamilton, Texas, 6-7, Sophomore
Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8, Freshman
Desmond Holloway, Coastal Carolina, 6-3, Junior
Tu Holloway, Xavier, 6-0, Junior
Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA, 6-8, Sophomore
Scotty Hopson, Tennessee, 6-7, Junior
Kyrie Irving, Duke, 6-2, Freshman
Reggie Jackson, Boston College, 6-3, Junior
Terrence Jennings, Louisville, 6-9, Junior
Orlando Johnson, UC-Santa Barbara, 6-5, Junior
Reggie Johnson, Miami, 6-10, Sophomore
Tiondre Johnson, Coastal Bend JC (Texas), 6-6, Sophomore
Kevin Jones, West Virginia, 6-8, Junior
Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8, Freshman
Cory Joseph, Texas, 6-3, Freshman
Enes Kanter, Kentucky, 6-10, Freshman
Ryan Kelley, Colorado, 6-5, Sophomore
Dan Kelm, Viterbo (Wis.), 6-0, Sophomore
Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3, Freshman
Malcolm Lee, UCLA, 6-5, Junior
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State, 6-7, Sophomore
Travis Leslie, Georgia, 6-4, Junior
DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky, 6-6, Junior
David Loubeau, Texas A&M, 6-8, Junior
Shelvin Mack, Butler, 6-3, Junior
Greg Mangano, Yale, 6-10, Junior
Keishawn Mayes, Campbell, 6-7, Junior
Cameron Moore, Alabama-Birmingham, 6-10, Junior
Darius Morris, Michigan, 6-4, Sophomore
Marcus Morris, Kansas, 6-9, Junior
Markieff Morris, Kansas, 6-10, Junior
Darrion Pellum, Hampton, 6-6, Junior
J.P. Primm, North Carolina-Asheville, 6-1, Junior
Willie Reed, St. Louis, 6-9, Sophomore
Jereme Richmond, Illinois, 6-7, Freshman
Ralph Sampson III, Minnesota, 6-11, Junior
Carleton Scott, Notre Dame, 6-8, Junior
Josh Selby, Kansas, 6-3, Freshman
Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech, 6-5, Junior
John Shurna, Northwestern, 6-8, Junior
Chris Singleton, Florida State, 6-9, Junior
Greg Smith, Fresno State, 6-10, Sophomore
Tony Taylor, George Washington, 6-1, Junior
Isaiah Thomas, Washington, 5-8, Junior
Trey Thompkins, Georgia, 6-10, Junior
Hollis Thompson, Georgetown, 6-7, Sophomore
Klay Thompson, Washington State, 6-6, Junior
Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-8, Freshman
Thomas Tibbs Jr., Staten Island, 5-10, Junior
Nikola Vucevic, Southern Cal, 6-10, Junior
Kemba Walker, Connecticut, 6-1, Junior
Antoine Watson, Florida International, 6-4, Junior
Charlie Westbrook, South Dakota, 6-4, Junior
Derrick Williams, Arizona, 6-8, Sophomore
Jordan Williams, Maryland, 6-10, Sophomore
Brandon Wood, Valparaiso, 6-2, Junior
List of International Early-Entry Prospects
Andrew Albicy, Paris-Levallois (France), 5-10, 1990 DOB
Furkan Aldemir, Karsiyaka (Turkey), 6-9, 1991 DOB
Davis Bertans, Union Olimpija (Slovenia), 6-7, 1992 DOB
Bismack Biyombo, Fuenlabrada (Spain), 6-9, 1992 DOB
Nihad Djedovic, Lottomatica Roma (Italy), 6-5, 1990 DOB
Emmanouil Koukoulas, Ilysiakos (Greece) 6-11, 1991 DOB
Joffrey Lauvergne, Chalon (France), 6-10, 1991 DOB
Abdoulaye Loum, Le Havre (France), 6-10, 1991 DOB
Nikola Mirotic, Real Madrid (Spain), 6-10, 1991 DOB
Donatas Motiejunas, Benetton Treviso (Italy), 7-0, 1990 DOB
Lucas Nogueira, Estudiantes II (Spain), 6-11, 1992 DOB
Femi Oladipo, Crailsheim (Germany), 6-7, 1990 DOB
Leon Radosevic, Cibona (Croatia), 6-10, 1990 DOB
Negueba Samake, Rouen (France), 6-11, 1990 DOB
Tornike Shengelia, Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium), 6-9, 1991 DOB
Abdel Kader, Sylla Nancy (France), 6-9, 1990 DOB
Jonas Valanciunas, Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania), 6-11, 1992 DOB
Jan Vesely, Partizan (Serbia), 6-11, 1990 DOB
Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann, Telekom (Germany), 6-10, 1990 DOB
Tomislav Zubcic, Cibona (Croatia), 7-0, 1990 DOB
