After Several Players Test NBA Waters, Big Ten Loaded With Draft Prospects

Michigan State  coach Tom Izzo joked at Big Ten Media Day that he’s not a big fan of the new rules that allowed players to test the NBA Draft waters and still return to campus.

“Yeah, it made me feel awful,” Izzo cracked. “Mine left and the others stayed.”

While Michigan State lost freshman Deyonta Davis and senior Denzel Valentine to the NBA Draft, three other Big Ten players tested the waters and opted to return to campus.

Indiana’s Thomas Bryant, Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan all chose to come back and are now part of a deep group of NBA prospects in the Big Ten.

According to DraftExpress.com, the Big Ten has seven players projected to go in the 2017 NBA Draft: Indiana’s OG Anunoby at No. 11; Bryant at No. 20; Michigan State freshman Miles Bridges at 20; Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes, the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, at 36; Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop at 46; Illinois’ Malcolm Hill at 48; and Trimble at 56. Swanigan is currently projected to go undrafted.