Kansas? Alabama? UConn? Who were the biggest winners of the NBA draft deadline?

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  • Jeff Borzello

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    Jeff Borzello

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • Basketball recruiting insider.
    • Joined ESPN in 2014.
    • Graduate of University of Delaware.

  • Myron Medcalf

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    Myron Medcalf

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • Covers college basketball
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2011
    • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

Jun 4, 2024, 09:13 AM ET

Last week, underclassmen had to withdraw from the NBA draft to maintain their collegiate eligibility. Some of the decisions were made just minutes before the deadline. But those choices could reshape the entire collegiate landscape in 2024-25. The return of Caleb Love to Arizona should solidify a top-10 preseason spot for Tommy Lloyd’s squad as it enters its first year in the Big 12.

UConn‘s odds at a three-peat increased with Alex Karaban’s return. Also, Mark Pope added former BYU standout Jaxson Robinson. The name, image and likeness era has limited the number of borderline prospects who stay in the draft because top college stars know they can make six-figure sums — and seven figures in some cases — if they return to school.

Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf answer key questions about the impact of the draft deadline on the 2024-25 season.

Multiple standouts in the portal withdrew from the NBA draft, and now they’re back on the market. As a result, this offseason’s wild roster adjustments are ongoing. Of the players who are now available, which star has the best opportunity to elevate a potential contender in 2024-25?

Borzello: Coleman Hawkins is poised to be the biggest target left in the portal. The Illinois transfer is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds and shooting nearly 37% from 3-point range. He also established himself as a versatile defender who can be a key player on a Final Four contender. Arkansas has long been linked to him; an interior duo of Hawkins and Jonas Aidoo would be elite. Louisville has been mentioned as a suitor; Hawkins could elevate a borderline top-25 team. Could North Carolina get back into the mix after missing on a couple big-name bigs?

Medcalf: Florida State transfer Jamir Watkins could be a difference-maker for any program. While reports suggest he will decide between a couple schools, the 6-foot-7 wing is a star who will be a welcome addition to any team he chooses. He averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals for a Florida State squad that finished in the bottom half of the ACC’s standings last year after two years at VCU. A big, elite wing — he made 37% of his 3-point attempts in league play — could be a big boost for a squad with second-weekend aspirations.

John Calipari recently told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that you can no longer win a national title with freshmen alone. To that end, former Florida Atlantic star Johnell Davis withdrew from the draft to anchor Calipari’s first Arkansas team. How will Davis impact Calipari’s squad in Fayetteville?

Borzello: While most of Calipari’s first team in Fayetteville will be made up of players who either played for him at Kentucky or players he recruited to Kentucky, the two most important players are likely to be the two without any previous connection to the Wildcats: Johnell Davis and Jonas Aidoo. Davis will be the Razorbacks’ go-to guy right off the bat, an established elite offensive player who made better than 41% of his 3-point attempts and scored 35 against Arizona last season. He’ll allow Boogie Fland and Karter Knox, two McDonald’s All-American freshmen, to be secondary options early in their careers.

Medcalf: I think Davis adds a crucial level of experience for an Arkansas squad that will turn to multiple freshmen and other young talent in Calipari’s first year. D.J. Wagner arrives in Fayetteville after a rocky first season with Calipari in Lexington. Five-star recruits Knox and Fland have increased the talent level for the Razorbacks, too. But Davis is a winner who has led a team to a Final Four and then, a year later, helped the same group win 25 games. That’s a key addition that should help Arkansas stay in the mix in a competitive SEC race.

Kansas, Alabama and UConn have all made strong cases to hold the top slot in the preseason rankings. How intense is the race for preseason No. 1 after the withdrawal deadline?

Medcalf: Those three teams all have strong cases for the top spot entering the upcoming season, and their respective slots will come down to preference among voters. It’s hard to deny that spot to UConn, which is seeking the first three-peat national title run since UCLA won seven consecutive national championships from 1967 to 1973, after Alex Karaban withdrew from the draft and returned to Storrs. But Kansas has three veterans from last season’s team, former Wisconsin star AJ Storr and Zeke Mayo, the Lawrence native who transferred from South Dakota State. That’s tough. Still, Nate Oats won big in the portal and Mark Sears, who also withdrew from the draft, will enter next season as a strong Wooden Award candidate. It’s a competitive race for No. 1.

Borzello: Just a few weeks ago, there was a pretty sizable gap between Kansas and everyone else for the No. 1 spot. Then UConn landed top-10 recruit Liam McNeeley and Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney and Alex Karaban withdrew from the draft. And Alabama got Grant Nelson back, signed Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi and had Mark Sears withdraw from the draft. I still lean Kansas. The Jayhawks have the fewest questions, return three starters and added three top-25 transfers. And the Jayhawks are still looking for another piece. But that gap between Kansas and the other contenders is essentially nonexistent now.

The deadline didn’t help everyone. Multiple teams lost key players who were expected to be strong contributors next season. Which squad now has the biggest void to fill after last week’s decisions?

Borzello: As the calendar approached the withdrawal deadline, signs pointed to David Jones potentially returning to Memphis. He’s not projected to be drafted, he didn’t have a great combine — and he would have been a preseason All-American had he returned. Now, Penny Hardaway is without his offensive focal point. There’s certainly talent on the Tigers’ roster. Tyrese Hunter (Texas), PJ Haggerty (Tulsa) and Colby Rogers (Wichita State) are all good offensive players, but there will be immediate pressure on Haggerty to take the next step and be the best scorer on a team with NCAA tournament hopes. He’s not a great shooter, but he gets to the free throw line at an incredibly high rate and has experience. Without Jones, though, I don’t see Memphis as a preseason top-25 team.

Medcalf: A year after helping the Dayton Flyers secure a 7-seed in the NCAA tournament, Daron Holmes II decided to stay in this month’s NBA draft. Coach Anthony Grant had already lost other key players from last season’s team, but he added Zed Key (Ohio State) and Posh Alexander (Butler) from the portal. The return of Holmes would have made Dayton a possible favorite to win a strong Atlantic 10. Instead, Anthony Grant lost one of the top players in school history.

Jaxson Robinson’s decision to withdraw from the NBA draft and join Mark Pope’s Kentucky squad was a major development for a Wildcats squad that amassed a strong talent pool this offseason. What will Robinson’s move mean for Kentucky’s rotation in Pope’s first season?

Medcalf: Perhaps Pope will bring back Calipari’s platoon system? Kidding. But Pope’s incoming transfer class — anchored by Robinson and Wake Forest standout Andrew Carr — is ranked fourth in the nation by EvanMiya.com. An abundance of talent, however, doesn’t offer any guarantees. Calipari’s final years at Kentucky proved as much. But Robinson is a future pro who helped Pope a year ago as a reserve for BYU. The addition gives Pope options with his rotations and also gives him experience off the bench, which is something Calipari lacked in recent years at Kentucky.

Borzello: Pope has clearly prioritized perimeter shooting in building his first Kentucky roster, and Robinson’s decision adds to a squad with a deep group of shot-makers at the guard and wing positions. It will be interesting to see how Pope hands out minutes. Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) and Lamont Butler (San Diego State) are very different players at the point guard spot. Robinson will combine with Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) and Koby Brea (Dayton) to comprise a trio filled with size and shooting on the wings. And then there’s ESPN 100 freshmen Travis Perry and Collin Chandler, the latter of whom provides a different dimension off the bounce. Even with the rotation headaches, Robinson’s commitment puts Kentucky into the preseason top 25.

We’ve entered a new era in college basketball with the Power 5 now becoming the Power 4 following the end of the Pac-12. Which conference title race will be most impacted by last week’s withdrawal deadline?

Medcalf: The SEC was already the race to watch, but the returns of Mark Sears and Kentucky’s addition of Jaxson Robinson made the push for the 2024-25 SEC crown more competitive. Alabama will enter the season as the favorite to win the conference title. But Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas are all contenders. And Florida added former Florida Atlantic star Alijah Martin to an intriguing Gators squad. Plus, Dre Davis joins Ole Miss after leading Seton Hall to the NIT title. The talent in the SEC only increased after last week’s deadline.

Borzello: The SEC is flat-out loaded, as Myron mentioned. It will have the most teams in the preseason top 25 and potentially the NCAA tournament. But for me, there’s no comparison when it comes to elite depth at the top of the standings. I have Kansas at No. 1, Houston at No. 4, Baylor at No. 6, Iowa State at No. 7 and Arizona — with the withdrawal of All-American guard Caleb Love — at No. 9. That’s half of the preseason top 10 from one conference. Despite being the deepest league in the country for most of the past decade, the Big 12 hasn’t been represented in the Final Four since 2022. That should change this season.



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