15 Underclassmen Who Should Declare For The 2015 NBA Draft

By Jerry Landry

15 Underclassmen Who Should Declare For The 2015 NBA Draft

2015 NBA Draft Preview Underclassmen declare — You mean there are actual college seniors to be selected in the NBA draft? I’m no Mesozoic-era archaeologist, but I thought upperclassmen were all but extinct in NBA scouting circles. Either way, here are the 15 underclassmen who should declare for the draft. This is where 90 percent of the talent is, and these will be the players you’ll be paying good money to see in NBA arenas from 2015 on.

15. Jahlil Okafor — Duke

Jahlil Okafor Duke Blue Devils NBA Draft

15. Jahlil Okafor — Duke

Jahlil Okafor Duke Blue Devils NBA Draft — Okafor could fall as far to No. 2 in the 2015 draft -- the Blue Devil is that good of a prospect. I won’t say the Duke freshman is “can’t miss,” because I’m aware of Sam Bowie, but the last few high-end lottery picks Duke has put through the draft have done quite well, although the jury is still out on Austin Rivers.

14. Karl-Anthony Towns — Kentucky

Karl-Anthony Towns NBA Draft Stock Kentucky Wildcats

14. Karl-Anthony Towns — Kentucky

Karl-Anthony Towns NBA Draft Stock Kentucky Wildcats — For years after this draft is held, I hope whichever player gets selected No. 1 refers to the other draftee as “No. 2” for the remainder of the second selection’s career. Could you imagine the rivalry? Just think of Karl-Anthony Towns banging down low, getting a bucket and the foul, then looking down at Okafor and saying, “try again next time, No. 2.”

13. Willie Cauley-Stein — Kentucky

Willie Cauley-Stein Kentucky Wildcats NBA Draft

13. Willie Cauley-Stein — Kentucky

Willie Cauley-Stein Kentucky Wildcats NBA Draft — Arguably becoming the Kentucky Wildcats’ best three-and-done, this 7-foot junior owns a 7-foot-2 wingspan and has all but mastered help-side defense. To perform well in the NBA, Cauley-Stein will need to either pack on pounds or improve at the perimeter, but this certainly isn’t a task that’ll be too tall.

12. Bobby Portis — Arkansas

Bobby Portis NBA Draft Arkansas Razorbacks

12. Bobby Portis — Arkansas

Bobby Portis NBA Draft Arkansas Razorbacks — This Arkansas Razorbacks freshman was the SEC player of the year, and I was just as surprised as you were to hear that there were other teams besides Kentucky in 2014-15 SEC play. Having played in the “Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball,” Portis should be able to handle an 82-game NBA season better than most rookies.

11. Sam Dekker — Wisconsin

Sam Dekker NBA Draft Wisconsin Badgers

11. Sam Dekker — Wisconsin

Sam Dekker NBA Draft Wisconsin Badgers — I’m not sure if any prospect’s draft stock as exploded quite like Dekker’s. The do-it-all 6-foot-9 forward brought out the intangibles for the 2015 NCAA tournament. Hustling to loose balls, getting put-back points and intuitively knowing where to be on the floor will serve Dekker well as an emerging lottery-level pick.

10. Kelly Oubre Jr. — Kansas

Kelly Oubre Kansas Jayhawks NBA Draft

10. Kelly Oubre Jr. — Kansas

Kelly Oubre Kansas Jayhawks NBA Draft — Kelly Oubre projects to lottery status, but he still needs to solidify a jump shot. Just 19 years of age and 6-foot-7, Oubre should be guided by a more patient hand. He could easily improve upon the respectable 44 percent from two, 36 percent from three during his one-year career at Kansas.

9. Devin Booker — Kentucky

Devin Booker Kentucky Wildcats NBA Draft Stock

9. Devin Booker — Kentucky

Devin Booker Kentucky Wildcats NBA Draft Stock — At a deceptive 6-foot-6, Booker has great length on the wing and and even greater shooting approach. In limited minutes with Kentucky, Booker was very Steve Kerr-like from three, hitting 41 percent of shots from behind the arc.

8. Malik Pope — San Diego State

Malik Pope San Diego State NBA Draft Stock

8. Malik Pope — San Diego State

Malik Pope San Diego State NBA Draft Stock — This freshman is battling back from leg injuries, yet he can still leap out of the building. Carrying 205 pounds on a 6-foot-10 frame, Pope will need to put on weight if the forward is to ever handle the grueling back-to-backs of an NBA season. If Pope can stay healthy, look for this former Aztec to be all over the floor on an NBA team battling at the cusp of playoff contention.

7. Justise Winslow — Duke

Justise Winslow Duke Blue Devils NBA Draft

7. Justise Winslow — Duke

Justise Winslow Duke Blue Devils NBA Draft — This is the freshman few are talking about, at least relative to Okafor. The 6-foot-6 forward could be a clone of Kawhi Leonard and may have an NBA-ready jump shot. The numbers are pretty good, at 41.7 percent from three and 48.5 percent from the field. Heck, in 2017 we may have forgotten all about Okafor and could be giving Winslow some much deserved love, or if you will, justice.

6. Trey Lyles — Kentucky

Trey Lyles Kentucky Wildcats NBA Draft Stock

6. Trey Lyles — Kentucky

Trey Lyles Kentucky Wildcats NBA Draft Stock — I have to get this paragraph on the Internet before Trey Lyles blocks it. That’s how fantastically versatile of a shot-blocker Lyles is. Although he put together just five blocks in the tournament leading up to the Final Four, the way Lyles put those shots to rest should really get scouts excited.

5. Myles Turner — Texas

Myles Turner NBA Draft Texas Longhorns

5. Myles Turner — Texas

Myles Turner NBA Draft Texas Longhorns — There are so many centers in this draft. This 7-foot Texas freshman could stand out from the pack by carrying 240 pounds along with the long frame. Turner’s shooting percentage was quite poor for playing down low, just a hair above 45 percent, but the Texas one-and-done also averaged 2.6 blocks per game, which could prove promising for teams struggling to adapt to pacing and spacing.

Update: Turner has declared for the 2015 NBA Draft

4. Kevon Looney — UCLA

Kevon Looney UCLA Bruins NBA Draft Stock

4. Kevon Looney — UCLA

Kevon Looney UCLA Bruins NBA Draft Stock — Standing 6-foot-10 and with a three-point shooting percentage of 41.5, Looney will be deservedly drawing comparisons to Kevin Durant. At 220 pounds, Looney already has an edge in mass that could also be an edge in durability.

3. Stanley Johnson — Arizona

Stanley Johnson NBA Draft Stock Arizona Wildcats

3. Stanley Johnson — Arizona

Stanley Johnson NBA Draft Stock Arizona Wildcats — Johnson appeared to melt a bit under the hot lights of the tournament, but in the flashes of poise this Pac-12 Freshman of the Year displayed, you could see what true NBA promise looks like. At 6-foot-7 and just 18 years old, Johnson’s ceiling could be the highest of any prospect in the draft.

2. Montrezl Harrell — Louisville

Montrezl Harrell Louisville Cardinals NBA Draft Stock

2. Montrezl Harrell — Louisville

Montrezl Harrell Louisville Cardinals NBA Draft Stock — If Justise Winslow draws comparisons to Kawhi Leonard, then Montrezl Harrell would be a look-alike if Leonard was permitted to roid up. 6-foot-7, 243 pounds and possessing a burgeoning three-point game, Harrell could be sustainable in the NBA if he can keep improving from the perimeter.

Update: Harrell has declared for the 2015 NBA Draft

1. D’Angelo Russell — Ohio State

D'Angelo Russell Ohio State Buckeyes NBA Draft Stock

1. D’Angelo Russell — Ohio State

D'Angelo Russell Ohio State Buckeyes NBA Draft Stock — Russell may be overshadowed by a poor showing against the Arizona Wildcats in March, so he will have to work to change collective minds by June. In the NBA, Russell will be playing top-shelf talent every night and will have to learn to respond to the pressure of premier performance standards.

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