Draft Decisions: Alston, Mizzou, Diarra, French, More
Boise State forward Derrick Alston Jr. has entered his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool, he announced on Twitter. He’ll leave the door open for a possible return to school for his senior season.
Alston, who comes in at No. 98 on ESPN’s big board of 2020 draft prospects, averaged 17.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 32 games (33.0 MPG) in 2019/20. His three-point shooting fell off as his volume increased, dipping from 38.4% as a sophomore to 33.5% as a junior.
Alston’s father, Derrick Alston Sr., is a former NBA player who is currently the head coach of the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.
Here are more early entrant draft decisions from across the NCAA:
- Three Missouri players – sophomore guard Xavier Pinson and junior forwards Mitchell Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon – will test the draft waters, according to a press release from the school. All three played part-time roles for the Tigers in 2019/20, with Pinson averaging 11.1 PPG, good for second-best on the roster.
- Jeff Goodman of Stadium reports a pair of early entries, tweeting that Eastern Kentucky sophomore guard Jomaru Brown and Vermont junior guard Stef Smith are declaring. A source expects Smith to return to school, Goodman notes.
- According to Goodman (via Twitter), Kansas State junior guard Cartier Diarra is testing the draft waters. If he decides to withdraw, he’ll transfer to Virginia Tech.
- Saint Louis junior forward Hasahn French and junior guard Jordan Goodwin are testing the draft waters, according to the school. Goodwin was Saint Louis’ leading scorer with 15.5 PPG, while French chipped in 12.4 PPG. Both players averaged double-doubles, with an impressive 10.4 RPG apiece.
- Isiaha Mike (SMU), Nate Pierre-Louis (Temple), Paul Atkinson Jr. (Yale), and Aamir Simms (Clemson) each announced on their personal Twitter accounts that they’re entering the draft while maintaining their NCAA eligibility.
Isaiah Stewart Enters 2020 NBA Draft
University of Washington freshman Isaiah Stewart has declared for the 2020 NBA draft, as he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Although Stewart can test the waters while maintaining his remaining college eligibility, the big man sounds prepared to go pro, telling Givony he’ll sign with Roc Nation for representation.
“It feels weird to be declaring for the draft with all this going on,” Stewart told ESPN, referring to the coronavirus pandemic. “I understand that there are bigger issues going on in the world, but I also want to let people know what my plans are. I’m just trying to make this as much of an opportunity as possible and try to gain whatever edge I can.”
In his first college season, Stewart averaged 17.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 32 games (32.2 MPG) for the Huskies. He projects as a potential first-round pick, ranking 26th overall on ESPN’s big board of 2020 prospects. ESPN also places him third among centers, behind probable lottery selections James Wiseman and Onyeka Okongwu.
In his scouting report on Stewart, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz praises the youngster’s size, frame, and strength, along with his willingness to “do the little things” such as setting hard screens. Schmitz cautions that Stewart struggles to defend on the perimeter and doesn’t have the leaping ability that would make him a great “natural rim protector.”
Hiatus Notes: Cuban, Temple, Board Of Governors
After recently predicting that the NBA will resume its season prior to June 1, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is backing off that aggressive forecast. Appearing on Wednesday morning on ESPN’s First Take, Cuban deferred to the experts on a potential timeline for a return to the court, as Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com details.
“I don’t know the date,” Cuban said when asked for his new prediction. “And it won’t happen until we can be absolutely certain that everybody will be safe. It’s safety first, no ifs, ands or buts about it. And so, I’ve been optimistic that it might happen before the start of June, but who knows now? We’ll listen to the scientists and take our cues from them.”
While Cuban acknowledged that he doesn’t know “how, where, or when” it will happen, he expressed optimism that the NBA will still be able to resume and complete its 2019/20 season at some point. However, he cautioned that the league “won’t do it until it’s safe.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s coronavirus-related hiatus:
- In a column for USA Today, Dan Wolken argues against the practicality of eventually finishing the 2019/20 season in what would essentially be a quarantined “bubble.” The NBA has reportedly been weighing the idea of resuming the season in a single location, such as Las Vegas, but Woiken points to a number of logistical issues that would be hard to overcome to make that scenario a reality.
- Nets swingman and NBPA vice president Garrett Temple spoke to Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic about the measures the league would need to take to resume its season, suggesting that being able to test players for the coronavirus before entering the game facility would be of paramount importance.
- The NBA is holding conference calls this week with front office committees as the league discusses the logistics of the postponed season, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). As Wojnarowski notes, the league’s original calendar called for in-person Board of Governors meetings on April 16 and 17, but those meetings are likely to be replaced by an April 17 conference call.
Nets Notes: COVID-19, Coach, Kyrie, KD, More
Speaking today on a conference call with reporters, Nets general manager Sean Marks said that all the team’s players are now symptom-free of COVID-19, including the four that tested positive for the coronavirus last month, tweets ESPN’s Malika Andrews. The club’s entire traveling party has now completed its 14-day self-isolation period, but continues to practice social distancing.
Marks addressed a handful of other topics on that call, including the team’s search for a permanent head coach. According to Brooklyn’s GM, the club isn’t currently reaching out to potential candidates, since it “would completely not be fair to our group” (Twitter link via Andrews).
When asked if he’ll consult Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the head coaching decision, Marks said the Nets have always collaborated with players, but the decision will ultimately be made by the front office and ownership (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Finally, speaking of Irving and Durant, Marks was also asked about the possibility of those injured stars returning to action if the 2019/20 season resumes this summer. According to Andrews (Twitter link), the GM replied that it wouldn’t be fair to set a specific timeline for either player’s return. Marks also cautioned that social-distancing practices and the closure of training facilities may slow the rehab process for injured players, further clouding the recovery timetables for Kyrie and KD.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Brian Lewis of The New York Post takes a look at DeAndre Jordan‘s role with the Nets this season and going forward, noting that the veteran center was immediately elevated to the starting lineup following Kenny Atkinson‘s departure.
- Atkinson’s exit is among the topics Lewis explores in a New York Post mailbag — he also answers questions related to the likelihood of a Jarrett Allen trade and how Nets players are staying in shape while self-isolating.
- In yet another story for The New York Post, Lewis shares some details on how Nets and Barclays Center are still being paid during the NBA’s stoppage. One source tells Lewis that the pay checks cut for event staffers may end up totaling approximately $6MM.
- In case you missed it, Durant is one of 16 NBA players participating in a players-only NBA 2K20 tournament starting on Friday.
Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson Entering 2020 Draft
Ohio State forward/center Kaleb Wesson will test the 2020 NBA draft process, his father Keith Wesson confirmed to Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch. However, as the elder Wesson explained, the possibility of returning to the Buckeyes for another year certainly isn’t out of the question for the junior standout.
“He’ll definitely test the waters, but he’s going to maintain his eligibility based upon information because it’s just so unknown,” Keith said, referring to a pre-draft process that will be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “There may not be any opportunities to increase your value from the standpoint of workouts and combines and really solidify your position.”
Kaleb, who lost weight and improved his conditioning prior to his junior year, averaged 14.0 PPG and 9.3 RPG in 31 games (29.5 MPG). He also showed off a significantly improved three-point shot, knocking down 42.5% of 3.4 attempts per game.
After testing the draft waters a year ago and withdrawing, Wesson is a stronger candidate to be selected this time around, coming in at No. 54 on ESPN’s big board. However, the uncertainty surrounding the process makes it more likely that he’ll decide to play for Ohio State for one more year.
“Oh, yeah, it definitely increases the chances of coming back,” his father told Jardy. “Nobody knows anything. We’ve talked to several different agents through the process of interviewing and literally none of them know anything. They say the draft is going to be moved back. They don’t know when or if combines or workouts are going to happen or even if the combine will happen.”