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Kansas, Alabama and UConn look great, but we still have questions after the NBA draft withdrawal deadline


  • Jeff Borzello

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    Jeff Borzello

    ESPN Writer

    • Insider information on basketball recruiting.
    • He joined ESPN in 2014.
    • Graduate of the University of Delaware.

  • Myron Medcalf

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    Myron Medcalf

    ESPN Writer

    • Covers college basketball
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2011
    • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

June 4, 2024, 09:13 am ET

Last week, the freshmen had to withdraw from the NBA draft to maintain their college eligibility. Some of the decisions were made just minutes before the deadline. But those options could reshape the entire college landscape in 2024-25. Caleb Love's return to Arizona should solidify a preseason top-10 spot for Tommy Lloyd's team as it enters its first year in the Big 12.

UConn's chances of a three-peat increased with the return of Alex Karaban. Additionally, Mark Pope added former BYU standout Jaxson Robinson. The era of name, image and likeness has limited the number of borderline prospects that remain in the draft because top college stars know they can earn six-figure sums (and seven figures in some cases) if they return to school.

Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf answer key questions about the impact of the draft deadline on the 2024-25 season.

Multiple notables from the portal withdrew from the NBA draft and are now back on the market. As a result, wild roster adjustments this offseason are underway. Of the players now available, which star has the best chance to elevate a potential contender in 2024-25?

Borzello: Coleman Hawkins is poised to be the biggest target left in the portal. The Illinois transfer is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds and shooting nearly 37% from 3-point range. He also established himself as a versatile defender who can be a key player on a Final Four contender. Arkansas has been linked to him for a long time; an interior duo of Hawkins and Jonas Aidoo would be elite. Louisville has been mentioned as a suitor; Hawkins could elevate a team that is on the verge of the top 25. Could North Carolina get back into the mix after missing out on a couple of big names?

Medical calf: Florida State transfer Jamir Watkins could be a difference-maker for any program. While reports suggest he will decide between a couple of schools, the 6-foot-7 wing is a star who will be a welcome addition to any team he chooses. He averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals for a Florida State team that finished in the bottom half of the ACC standings last year after two years at VCU. A big, elite wing (he made 37% of his 3-point attempts in the league) could be a big boost for a team with second-weekend aspirations.

John Calipari recently told ESPN's Pete Thamel that you can't win a national title with just freshmen anymore. To that end, former Florida Atlantic star Johnell Davis opted out of the draft to anchor Calipari's first Arkansas team. How will Davis affect Calipari's team in Fayetteville?

Borzello: While most of Calipari's first team in Fayetteville will be made up of players who played for him at Kentucky or players he recruited to Kentucky, the two most important players are likely to be the two who have no prior connection to the Wildcats: Johnell Davis and Jonas Aidoo. Davis will be the Razorbacks' go-to guy from the start, an established elite offensive player who made over 41% of his 3-point attempts and made 35 against Arizona last season. He will allow Boogie Fland and Karter Knox, two McDonald's All-American freshmen, to be secondary options early in their careers.

Medical calf: I think Davis adds a crucial level of experience for an Arkansas team that will turn to several freshmen and other young talent in Calipari's first year. DJ Wagner comes to Fayetteville after a difficult first season with Calipari in Lexington. Five-star recruits Knox and Fland have also boosted the Razorbacks' talent level. But Davis is a winner who led a team to a Final Four and then, a year later, helped the same group win 25 games. That's a key addition that should help Arkansas stay in the mix in a competitive SEC race.

Kansas, Alabama and UConn have made strong cases for the top spot in the preseason rankings. How intense is the race for the preseason No. 1 spot after the retirement deadline?

Medical calf: Those three teams have a strong case for first place heading into next season, and their respective spots will depend on voter preference. It's hard to deny that spot to UConn, which is seeking its first three-peat national title since UCLA won seven straight national championships from 1967 to 1973 after Alex Karaban withdrew from the draft and returned to Storrs. But Kansas has three veterans from last season's team, former Wisconsin star AJ Storr and Zeke Mayo, the Lawrence native who transferred from South Dakota State. That's hard. Still, Nate Oats won big in the portal and Mark Sears, who also withdrew from the draft, will enter next season as a strong candidate for the Wooden Award. It's a competitive race for number 1.

Borzello: Just a few weeks ago, there was a pretty sizable gap between Kansas and everyone else for the number one spot. UConn then landed top-10 recruit Liam McNeeley and Saint Mary's transfer Aidan Mahaney and Alex Karaban withdrew from the draft. And Alabama got Grant Nelson back, signed Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi and had Mark Sears opt out of the draft. I'm still leaning toward Kansas. The Jayhawks have the fewest questions, return three starters and added three transfers in the top 25. And the Jayhawks are still looking for another piece. But that gap between Kansas and the other contenders is essentially nonexistent now.

The deadline didn't help everyone. Several teams lost key players who were expected to contribute a lot next season. Which team now has the biggest void to fill after last week's decisions?

Borzello: As the calendar moved closer to the retirement deadline, signs pointed to David Jones potentially returning to Memphis. He's not projected to be drafted, he didn't have a great combine, and would have been a preseason All-American if he had returned. Now, Penny Hardaway is left without her offensive focal point. There is certainly talent on the Tigers roster. Tyrese Hunter (Texas), PJ Haggerty (Tulsa) and Colby Rogers (Wichita State) are all good offensive players, but there will be immediate pressure on Haggerty to take the next step and be the leading scorer on a team with tournament hopes. NCAA. He's not a great shooter, but he gets to the free throw line at an incredibly high rate and has experience. However, without Jones, I don't see Memphis as a preseason top-25 team.

Medical calf: A year after helping the Dayton Flyers to a seventh seed in the NCAA tournament, Daron Holmes II decided to remain in this month's NBA draft. Coach Anthony Grant had already lost other key players from last season's team, but added Zed Key (Ohio State) and Posh Alexander (Butler) from the portal. Holmes' return would have made Dayton a potential favorite to win a strong Atlantic 10. Instead, Anthony Grant lost one of the best players in school history.

Jaxson Robinson's decision to withdraw from the NBA draft and join Mark Pope's Kentucky team was a major development for a Wildcats team that amassed a strong group of talent this offseason. What will Robinson's move mean for Kentucky's rotation in Pope's first season?

Medical calf: Maybe the Pope will bring back Calipari's platoon system? Kidding. But Pope's class of incoming transfers, led by Robinson and Wake Forest standout Andrew Carr, ranks fourth in the nation according to EvanMiya.com. However, an abundance of talent offers no guarantee. Calipari's final years at Kentucky showed that. But Robinson is a future pro who helped Pope a year ago as a backup for BYU. The addition of him gives Pope options with his rotations and also gives him experience off the bench, something Calipari has lacked in recent years at Kentucky.

Borzello: Pope has clearly prioritized perimeter shooting in building his first Kentucky roster, and Robinson's decision adds to a team with a deep group of shooters at guard and wing. It will be interesting to see how the Pope distributes the minutes. Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) and Lamont Butler (San Diego State) are very different players at the point guard position. Robinson will combine with Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) and Koby Brea (Dayton) to form a trio full of size and wing shooting. And then there are ESPN 100 freshmen Travis Perry and Collin Chandler, the latter of whom provides a different dimension from the start. Even with the rotation headaches, Robinson's commitment puts Kentucky in the preseason's top 25.

We have entered a new era in college basketball and the Power 5 has now become the Power 4 following the end of the Pac-12. Which conference title race will be most affected by last week's withdrawal deadline?

Medical calf: The SEC was already the race to watch, but the returns of Mark Sears and Kentucky's addition of Jaxson Robinson made the fight for the 2024-25 SEC crown more competitive. Alabama will begin the season as the favorite to win the conference title. But Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas are all contenders. And Florida added former Florida Atlantic star Alijah Martin to an intriguing Gators team. Additionally, Dre Davis joins Ole Miss after leading Seton Hall to the NIT title. The talent in the SEC only increased after last week's deadline.

Borzello: The SEC is fully loaded, as Myron mentioned. It will have the most teams in the preseason top 25 and potentially in the NCAA tournament. But to me, there's no comparison when it comes to elite depth at the top of the depth chart. I have Kansas at No. 1, Houston at No. 4, Baylor at No. 6, Iowa State at No. 7 and Arizona (with the retirement of All-American guard Caleb Love ) at No. 9. That's half of a conference's preseason top 10. Despite being the deepest league in the country for most of the last decade, the Big 12 has not been represented in the Final Four since 2022. That should change this season.



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