Wayne's back (and party on), but Ellis remains biggest question for KU
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kelly, out. Cliff, out. Wayne, in.
Et tu, Perry?
The Kansas men's basketball team announced Friday that it will return a starter -- off-guard Wayne Selden, a fringe pro prospect after a seesaw sophomore season -- after losing a pair to the NBA Draft (Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander) over the last two weeks.
But the biggest dog sniffing around the draft pool remains the one most squarely on the fence: junior forward Perry Ellis.
Bill Self told the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World earlier this week that Ellis is one of six Jayhawks -- it's safe to assume Selden was one as well -- for whom the veteran coach applied to receive information on their respective draft stock with the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee.
Undergrads have until April 26 to declare for the NBA Draft. Players who want to keep the option open to return to school must provide written notice to the NCAA by Sunday that they plan to keep that option available, but the players who provide such notice may not attend the combine May 12-17 in Chicago.
The NBA allows early-entry candidates to withdraw their name from consideration as late as June 15; the draft is June 25.
The 6-foot-8 Ellis, who led KU in points (13.8 per game) and rebounds (7.0 per contest) this past season, was not projected to be selected in the latest mock drafts posted at DraftExpress.com and NBADraft.net.
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The latter mock did list Selden as a possible late-second-round pick, though, if he had elected to make the jump. The 6-5 New Englander won the hearts -- and laps -- of many KU fans during his freshman year with his range, athleticism, hustle, and a proclivity for diving, face-first, after errant passes. But as a sophomore, Selden appeared to hit several walls while battling ankle issues. He led the Jayhawks in scoring seven times this past season; he scored five points or fewer on nine other occasions.
And Selden's second season was rather neatly summed up by his scoring totals in seven March tilts: 4, 0, 7, 20, 25, 6 and, finally, 0, a season-ending goose egg that was part of an oh-for-5 shooting day versus Wichita State in a third-round loss at the NCAA Tournament in Omaha.
"I'm using that last game and the season as my everyday motivation to get better," Selden said in a statement released by the school. "I'm happy to come back to Kansas next season. This is a special place."
If Ellis returns to a lineup that includes Selden and point guard Frank Mason, the Jayhawks could have the pieces in place for a special season, too.
You can follow Sean Keeler on Twitter at @SeanKeeler or email him at seanmkeeler@gmail.com.
