Takeaways From NCAA Withdrawal Deadline

The NCAA withdrawal deadline has now passed and we saw an incredible amount of prospects elect to return to college or stay in the draft. What were the biggest takeaways from it?

There were an incredible amount of prospects making their decision on the final day of the deadline. From the people I talked to, a lot of prospects had no idea what they planned on doing until the final couple hours of the night which led to some exciting and even shocking decisions. Let’s dive into some of the biggest takeaways from last night.

Notable Prospects Returning To College

The national player of the year Zach Edey has elected to return to college to play his senior year at Purdue. It’s reported that Edey was very much considering the NBA route as he had legit fans from NBA personnel. The Purdue big man was looking for a promise and likely didn’t like everything he heard back which led to him returning. This move allows Edey to continue to improve upon his game and dominate the college scene while doing so.

Reece Beekman was considered one of the top second-round point guard prospects in the draft before ultimately announcing his return to Virginia. The defensive-minded guard will have more on-ball responsibilities with the Cavaliers next year with Kihei Clark no longer there. This will allow Beekman to expand upon his offensive game and show he has more to his game than what some give him credit for.

Judah Mintz is returning to Syracuse under new head coach Adrian Autry. He didn’t quite measure up well at the NBA Draft Combine which definitely scared some NBA personnel so it seemed returning to school was ultimately the best decision he could’ve made. Mintz will now be able to polish his outside jumper while playing next to incoming transfer JJ Starling as they’ll share the backcourt together.

Dillon Mitchell was a last minute decision and came as a bit of a surprise to some as the word for most of the day was that he planned on staying in the draft but things obviously changed. The athletic and defensive minded forward will likely be given a bigger role heading into his sophomore year which is great to see as he was extremely limited on the offensive end his freshman year. With no Ron Holland coming in, Mitchell will likely take full advantage of the opportunity.

Notable Prospects Staying In The Draft

Julian Phillips has elected to stay in the draft after one year at Tennessee. The projected second round pick tested extremely well at the NBA Draft Combine and loved the feedback he heard. The athletic forward showed some nice offensive flashes and defensive chops all season long and will now be able to expand on his game at the next level.

Jordan Walsh was a late night decision as it’s reported that Walsh was very split on what route to take but ultimately elected to take the NBA route. He is one of the top defensive forward prospects in the entire draft as his tools and ability are remarkable on that end. Walsh has a lot of work on offensively as he has no standout skill yet, but it’s easy to envision a team taking a chance on him and polishing him up on the offensive end.

Chris Livingston elected to stay in the NBA draft which was no surprise to anyone despite some being quite confused by the decision. Livingston coming into the season was a projected first round pick but didn’t quite live up to expectations as he saw his stock drop as the season went along. The Kentucky forward measured better than anticipated at the NBA Draft Combine, but him sitting out of the scrimmages likely didn’t satisfy NBA personnel. Livingston is projected to go undrafted as of now but things can change up until the night of the draft.

Biggest Winners

Creighton coaches were ecstatic to hear about Ryan Kalkbrenner and Trey Alexander returning to college as they were extremely vital pieces to their elite eight run in the NCAA tournament this past season. Although losing Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma to the transfer portal isn't ideal, they still look like a very solid squad heading into next season.

Villanova are bringing in two experienced transfers in Hakim Hart and Tyler Burton as both were testing the waters on the final day of the deadline. These forwards fit the prototypical Villanova forward archetype and will help contribute to winning immediately. It’s widely expected that the Wildcats finish as a top 25 team in the country.

Brad Underwood was probably the happiest coach in the world yesterday as he heard Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins announce that they’re returning to school for another season. Both prospects were likely to be drafted in the second round but now both prospects will look to build on the culture Illinois has established over the last couple of years.

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