With Deadline Approaching, Multiple Players Weighing Decisions on NBA Future

With the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA Draft approaching on Wednesday, many college players have already declared their intentions to return to campus.

In recent days, Dedric Lawson (Memphis), Abdul Malik Abu and Beejay Anya (N.C. State), Justin Jackson (North Carolina) and Corey Sanders (Rutgers) have withdrawn from the draft after not signing with an agent.

But numerous high-profile college players are still weighing their decisions.

That group includes the Kentucky duo of Isaiah Briscoe and Marcus Lee, Maryland point guard Melo Trimble, Villanova guard Josh Hart, Providence forward Ben Bentil, Xavier wing Trevon Bluiett, Mississippi State guard Malik Newman, Seton Hall guard Isaiah Whitehead, Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes, Purdue forward Caleb Swanigan and Indiana forward Troy Williams.

**Briscoe’s father, George, told me by phone on Friday that his son, the former Roselle (N.J.) Catholic star, has upcoming workouts with Minnesota (Monday) and Atlanta (Tuesday) and still hasn’t made up his mind. Meantime, Lee cancelled several recent workouts but it remains unclear what he will do. Former Kentucky players Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie-Cauley Stein both offered words of wisdom for Briscoe and Lee at this week’s NBA Draft Lottery.

 

**Maryland’s Trimble worked out for Milwaukee on Thursday and told the team’s official site, “[The NBA workouts] give me a chance to know where I’m at. I didn’t have the second half that I wanted. At the beginning of the year, I was really good and I dropped a little bit. Just to put my name in the draft and see if I’m ready for the next level and if I’m not, I’ll go back.” Trimble told me at the NBA Draft Combine he also had workouts coming up with San Antonio, Atlanta and Philly

Maryland’s Melo Trimble on testing the @NBADraft waters https://t.co/5oEkTndeOM

– Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) May 20, 2016

 

**Villanova’s Hart told me Friday he also has not decided. “I haven’t made my decision yet,” he said. Hart still has workouts with San Antonio (Sunday) and Atlanta (Tuesday) before Wednesday’s deadline. For more on his thoughts on possibly returning and trying to repeat with Villanova, read this from the Combine.

 

**Seton Hall’s Whitehead has gone back and forth on his decision, and plans to announce before Wednesday’s deadline. He worked out last week for Philadelphia before cancelling workouts with Indiana (Wednesday) and Boston (Friday) with a hamstring injury. If he returns to Seton Hall, he would be in contention for Big East Player of the Year honors.

 

**Providence’s Bentil had workouts this week with the Clippers and the Lakers, while Xavier’s Bluiett had the Celtics and the Lakers. Depending on the decisions of Hart, Whitehead, Bentil and Bluiett, they would be among the best players both in the Big East and nationally next season.

 

**Mississippi State’s Newman had workouts scheduled with Milwaukee (Friday), the Nets (Sunday) and the Knicks (Tuesday). His father, Horatio Webster, told me on Thursday that if he wasn’t satisfied with his son’s draft status, Newman would return to campus.

 

**In the Big Ten, Purdue’s Swanigan, Wisconsin’s Hayes and Indiana’s Williams also remain undecided. Hayes made headlines at a workout with the Celtics by saying he would shoot a ton of jump shots if Boston takes him in the lottery.

“We were just talking in the locker room about they (need) a wing player, someone who can really shoot the ball well,” Hayes told MassLive.com Wednesday after working out for the Celtics. “And I told the guys, you take me (with the) third (overall pick), I’ll shoot 5,000 shots a day for you.”

NWith the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA Draft approaching on Wednesday, many college players have already declared to intentions to return to campus.