Ranking the Surprising College Basketball Names Appear on NBA Draft Early Entry List

The dust of the transfer portal has mostly settled and now everybody’s attention in the college basketball world has shifted to the NBA Draft and which players will withdraw and return to school.

The conversation became more intense on Monday evening when the NBA revealed the early entries to the NBA Draft, which only contained 71 players. It is a 35-player decrease from last season and down by 292 players after it peaked in 2021, which was prior to the transfer portal and NIL era.

Still, there are a number of players that must make difficult decisions on what to do with their futures and names that were a surprise to see on the NBA’s list.

We look at some of the most compelling and surprising names that are testing the NBA Draft waters.

John Blackwell, Duke Guard

Duke is hoping this doesn’t turn into a Cedric Coward situation again.

It was not known among many people publicly that John Blackwell was going to enter the draft after committing to the Blue Devils last week but now Jon Scheye will have to hold his breath and make sure his star transfer makes it to Durham.

Last year Cedric Coward committed to Duke but told the coaching staff his intentions were to test the NBA Draft waters. Still, it was expected for him to return to college basketball until he started crushing workouts and impressive NBA teams. Coward ended up being the No. 11 overall pick in the draft and the Blue Devils had to pivot internationally to adding Dame Sarr to its roster.

There is a strong chance John Blackwell could be the leading scorer for Duke next season, and, despite its returning depth and talent, the Blue Devils need the Wisconsin transfer to be in Durham next season.

Alijah Arenas, USC Guard

There was very little talk about the future of the son of the three-time NBA All-Star this offseason until his name popped up on the NBA Draft list. After a scary incident prior to the start of his freshman season, Alijah Arenas turned in a very impressive debut season with the Trojans.

He averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game but only shot 34.1-percent from the field and 21.3-percent from 3-point range. A full offseason and preseason could do wonder for the development of the 6-foot-6 guard but the resources he would have available at the next level are undeniable.

The expectation is that Alijah Arenas will return to USC for his sophomore season and could be one of biggest breakout candidates throughout the country next season.

Cruz Davis, Texas Tech Guard

Another name that has not gathered much NBA Draft buzz is former Hofstra guard Cruz Davis, who spent two years with the Pride after beginning his career under Rick Pitino for two seasons at Iona and St. John’s.

He averaged 20.1 points per game this season and led Hofstra to the NCAA Tournament before entering the transfer portal and committing to Texas Tech.

Like others, Cruz Davis is expected to return to school but will get a good experience working out for NBA teams throughout the month before the May 27 deadline to return to school.

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