2012 NBA Draft: Early Entry Deadline Arrives, Final List Revealed

The early-entry list for the 2012 NBA Draft was finally officially released on Thursday, and it includes 49 college underclassmen and 17 international prospects. There are no real surprises on the list, as most of the top prospects who did declare for the draft have already said so. Here’s a complete list.

The headliners include the five Kentucky products (Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague), Kansas forward Thomas Robinson, Florida guard Bradley Beal, North Carolina swingman Harrison Barnes and Ohio State big man Jared Sullinger.

Entering the NBA Draft prior to finishing college is often a tough decision that has the possibility of changing a young athlete’s life, so it makes sense that some players struggle when deciding whether to pursue their professional dreams or return for another season on campus.

There’s been a bit of clarification, however, that gives the decision a bit more clarity.

Baylor’s Quincy Miller plans to hire an agent and declare himself eligible for the NBA draft, according to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Miller originally announced on April 10 that he would be returning to Baylor for at least one more season.

“It’s been a great opportunity playing here, I’ll miss this team, the way we played together. We all love each other,” said Davis, who’s expected to be the first overall pick. “I’m just going to miss this place. We won an NCAA championship here and did a lot. We all did a lot for this school and I’m going to miss it.”

“This is a players’ first program. I said it three years ago. During the season, it’s about our team. You saw it in this year’s team, they were about each other,” Calipari said. “When the season is over, it’s about moments like this.”

If all five players do indeed go pro, it’s not a surprise. Davis was sure to depart, as he’s surely going to be the No. 1 pick. Kidd-Gilchrist and Jones are expected to be high lottery picks, so their decisions aren’t shocking either. Lamb and Teague were less likely to declare for the draft, but both could be first-round picks depending on how things transpire over the next few months.

Click the link for a complete list of ways to watch the Kentucky press conference online.

The 2012 NBA Draft has been expected to be pretty solid toward the top for the past few seasons, but a wrench could have been put in those plans if the top youngsters decided to stay in school. It seems the majority of the underclassmen will make the jump to the pros this summer, though -- or at least those that are presumed to be picked toward the top of the draft.

The talented freshman didn’t have the greatest experience at his lone March Madness outing, but SB Nation’s Mike Prada believes that will only help make him a better prospect at the next level.

“It was a difficult decision, but after much prayer and discussion with my parents, I feel that it’s in the best interest of me and my family to declare myself eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft and pursue my dream of playing professional basketball,” Lamb said in the release.

Lamb is expected to be a late-lottery or mid-first round pick in the draft. SB Nation’s Tom Ziller has Lamb going No. 14 overall in his latest NBA mock draft.

Fresh off their most impressive season in recent memory, the Indiana Hoosiers will welcome back two of their stars that helped make their Sweet 16 run possible. Center Cody Zeller and forward Christian Watford, the team’s two leading scorers, announced that they will return to the school next season.

Zeller, a freshman center that emerged as Indiana’s best player, was expected to be a potential lottery pick had he decided to enter the 2012 NBA Draft. Instead, he will remain in Bloomington for his sophomore year to continue the program revival that began when he chose Indiana out of high school. Zeller averaged 15.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 28.5 minutes per contest, shooting 62.3 percent from the field. Watford, meanwhile, was not expected to be a high pick, so his decision to return for his senior year is less surprising.

The 6-foot-3 Jenkins has led the SEC in scoring in each of the last two seasons, averaging 19.5 points per game in 2010-11 and 19.8 points per game last season. Jenkins shot 47 percent from the floor in 2011 and his 134 three-point field goals set an SEC and Vanderbilt single-season record in addition to leading the nation in three-point field goals per game (3.83).

Vanderbilt will miss Jenkins, who was a two-time All-SEC first-team selection and ranks 10th on the school’s all-time scoring list.

According to SB Nation Kansas City, Robinson officially announced his decision at at press conference at the Allen Fieldhouse on Monday. He expressed his appreciation for the school and their basketball program and Kansas head coach Bill Self wished the young player nothing but the best.

Robinson doesn’t have a preference on a pro team, which is good because he is likely to be a lottery pick and could be selected as high as No. 2 overall in this year’s draft.

While the weeks following the 2012 NCAA Tournament have featured a flurry of activity as standout players have declared their early entry into the NBA Draft, at least one college basketball star will be returning to school for another year.

Burke may be thinking of next year’s NCAA Tournament, since his Wolverines were upset early and bumped out of this year’s March Madness before they really had a chance to get going.

In a move that is not a surprise, Baylor sophomore forward Perry Jones III will declare for the 2012 NBA Draft, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman.

Many expected Jones to declare after his freshman season, especially after he was handed a six-game suspension for accepting improper benefits, but Jones instead elected to return to Baylor. He averaged 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in leading the Bears to the Elite 8, but failed to alleviate concerns about his inconsistency and reversion to contact inside. Nevertheless, due to his skills, size and upside, he is expected to be a lottery pick.

Update: Robinson officially declared.

The news comes by way of Recruit Scoop, passing along an ESPN report by Chad Ford.

The father of Michigan point guard Trey Burke is disputing a CBS Sports report that his son is declaring for the NBA Draft by declaring his son hasn’t yet left the Wolverines. He’s using everyone’s favorite platform to dispute published reports:

Three Michigan players have transfered out of the program since the Wolverines’ first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament ended a 24-10 campaign. Despite the attrition, Michigan is considered a dark horse Final Four pick next season due to a loaded incoming freshman class.

The 2012 NBA Draft will feature plenty of early entrants. There are already a bevy of players who were planning on entering the draft before their senior year of college. Following the 2012 NCAA Tournament, that number will only increase in the coming months as talented players attempt to go pro.

The official Buckeyes Twitter feed announced that Sullinger’s press conference will begin at 2:15 p.m. ET. The presser will be streamed live on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

DraftExpress ace Jonathan Givony reported on Tuesday that someone called a Mindaugas Kupsas will enter the 2012 NBA Draft. I believe Mindaugas is Lithuanian for “Mundungus,” but I cannot confirm at this time. I can confirm via Wikipedia that the name “Mindaugas” has a triumphant history in Lithuanian lore, as the so-called only King of Lithuania bore the name.

Lithuania has Mindaugas. The United States has George (Washington, Washington Carver, Jefferson, Jetson). This is not fair.

Wroten projects as a late first round pick according to DraftExpress.com. His 6’5, 180-pound frame is excellent for a combo guard, as is his ability to attack the rim off the dribble from the perimeter. He has some work to do on his outside shooting, however. Wroten shot just 16.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc this past season while averaging 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

For more on Wroten and the Huskies, head over to the SB Nation blog UW Dawg Pound.

Melo, a 7’0 center and likely first-round pick simply based on his size, missed the NCAA Tournament due to a suspension. There was no indication the suspension would last in to next season, but he decided to be proactive about his future.

Melo averaged a less-than-thrilling 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds this past season, but the 21-year-old’s ability to block shots and considerable upside make him likely worthy of a later first round pick this summer.

Robinson is expected to be a top-five pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and could go as high as No. 2 overall. Robinson averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in leading Kansas further than anyone expected they would go this season.

For more on the Jayhawks, visit Rock Chalk Talk and SB Nation Kansas City.

Wroten averaged 16 points, five rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season. DraftExpress has him ranked as the No. 23 prospect.

For more on Husky basketball, visit SB Nation’s UW Dawg Pound.

Barnes entered the year as the most highly-regarded of the five NBA prospects, but saw his stock drop after struggling in the Tar Heels’ two NCAA Tournament games without Marshall.

For more on the Tar Heels, visit Carolina March.

After the forward flirted with the draft last year, his announcement came as no surprise to the Hoyas’ head coach:

For more on Thompson and reaction to his announcement, visit Casual Hoya.