Purdue's status as a 2011 contender may already be in doubt. Juniors JaJuan Johnson and E'twaun Moore have both declared for the NBA Draft in recent days, although neither has signed with an agent, according to ESPN's Pat Forde. By not signing with agents, they've left the door open for them to return to school if they aren't comfortable with the feedback they get from NBA front office folks.
Pair Of Purdue Players, JaJuan Johnson And E’Twaun Moore, Declare For NBA Draft
Of the two, Johnson is the more likely to land in the first round and stay in the draft. The 6’10”, 215-pound Johnson averaged 15.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers this past season, and his athleticism and speed for a big certainly make him attractive to NBA GMs. His thin frame and raw offensive game, however, likely will push him down to the end of the first round, at best, with the most likely case being him coming off the board somewhere in the second round. ESPN’s Chad Ford currently ranks him as the 51st-best prospect in the class, while Draft Express has him 76th.
Moore is even less of a sure thing as an NBA prospect at this point, barely making a dent in mock drafts. The 6’3” combo guard was a key contributor for the Boilermakers last year, putting up 16.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, but he hasn’t cracked Chad Ford or Draft Express’ list of the top 100 prospects for 2010. In his case, it seems more likely he’ll use the pre-draft camps and evaluations to get a better sense from NBA GMs what he needs to work on to make himself a viable pro, before heading back to school.
If Johnson and Moore both return, the Boilermakers should once again be Final Four favorites, with most of their key players coming back (including the injured Robbie Hummel), with the exception of defensive ace Chris Kramer.
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