A look at which 2012-13 college players made Opening Day NBA rosters
More often than not, we assess early-entry decisions made by underclassmen on NBA draft night once we see which players were selected and which weren't.
In reality, the better time to pass judgment might be on the eve of the NBA season after teams make their final roster cuts.
Of the 46 college players who entered the 2013 NBA draft before they exhausted their eligibility, only 27 made an Opening Day NBA roster. Some who didn't make it were no surprise like undrafted Arkansas stars B.J. Young and Marshawn Powell. Others who didn't make it were a bit more eye-opening like North Carolina State standouts Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie, both of whom were waived the past few days.
Only one player left school with eligibility remaining last spring, went undrafted and still made an NBA roster. That's former Missouri point guard Phil Pressey, who signed a three-year contract with one year guaranteed with the Boston Celtics and has impressed the team with his passing and court vision in training camp.
Below are three lists cobbled together after perusing each NBA team's Opening Day roster on Monday evening. Remember, each list only includes college players who entered the draft after the 2012-13 season.
College players who were drafted but did not make an NBA roster: 11
40. Grant Jerrett, F, Arizona (Signed with D-League's Tulsa 66ers), 42: Pierre Jackson, G, Baylor (Signed in France), 44. Mike Muscala, C, Bucknell (Signed in Spain), 46. Erick Green, G, Virginia Tech (Signed in Italy) 50. James Ennis, G, Long Beach State (Signed in Australia), 51. Romero Osby, F, Oklahoma (Waived by Orlando), 52. Lorenzo Brown, G, NC State (Waived by Minnesota), 53. Colton Iverson, F, Colorado State (Signed in Turkey), 54. Arsalan Kazemi, F, Oregon (Signed in Iran), 56. Alex Oriakhi, F, UConn (Signed in France), 57. Deshaun Thomas, F, Ohio State (Signed in France)
Undrafted college players who made an NBA roster: 7
Phil Pressey, G, Missouri (Boston Celtics); Brandon Davies, F, BYU (Philadelphia 76ers); Matthew Dellavedova, G, Saint Mary's (Cleveland Cavaliers); James Southerland, F, Syracuse (Charlotte Bobcats); Robert Covington, F, Tennessee State (Houston Rockets); Ian Clark, G, Belmont (Utah Jazz); Elias Harris, F, Gonzaga (Los Angeles Lakers)
Players who left school early and did not make an NBA roster: 19
C. J. Aiken, F, Saint Joseph's (junior); Vander Blue, G, Marquette (junior); Lorenzo Brown, G, North Carolina State (junior); Adrien Coleman, G/F, Bethune-Cookman (junior); DeWayne Dedmon, C, USC (junior); Grant Jerrett, F, Arizona (freshman); Christian Kabongo, G, Morgan State (junior); Myck Kabongo, G, Texas (sophomore); C. J. Leslie, F, North Carolina State (junior); Nurideen Lindsey, G, Rider (junior); Amath M'Baye, F, Oklahoma (junior); Marshawn Powell, F, Arkansas (junior); Trevis Simpson, G, UNC Greensboro (junior); Tahj Tate, G, Delaware State (sophomore); John Taylor, G, Fresno Pacific (junior); Adonis Thomas, G/F, Memphis (sophomore); Deshaun Thomas, F, Ohio State (junior); B. J. Young, G, Arkansas (sophomore)
- - - - - - -
is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
