It’s early, but here’s quick a look at some of the top college returners for the 2021 NBA Draft. There should be a few more names that enter this pool as players start to focus on making their decisions official over the coming months.

There isn’t a ton of star power here, but there are solid role players and some guys with upside that could burst onto the scene and raise their stock with breakout seasons.

Disclaimer: This is me strictly looking at them through the lens of being NBA prospects, not based off how well I think they’ll do in college.

Awaiting decisions

Tyrell Terry (Stanford), DeAndre Williams (Memphis), Xavier Tillman (Michigan St.), Aaron Henry (Michigan St.), Luka Garza (Iowa), Jared Butler (Baylor), MaCio Teague (Baylor), Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Joel Ayayi (Gonzaga), Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga), Isaiah Livers (Michigan), Yves Pons (Tennessee), Isaiah Joe (Arkansas), Matt Mitchell (SDSU), Colbey Ross (Pepperdine), Remy Martin (Arizona St.), Trendon Watford (LSU), Darius Days (LSU), Javonte Smart (LSU), Tre Mann (Florida), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), McKinley Wright (Colorado), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Seton Hall), CJ Elleby (Washington St.).

It is very possible that I could be missing someone, as this list is bulky and I am just one person constructing this, so feel free to let me know if anyone was omitted. Without further ado, let’s dive into an early look at the top returning prospects in college basketball.

Tier 1

Potential 1st round talent

• Jeremiah Robinson-Earl– F/C, Villanova.
• Franz Wagner– G/F, Michigan.
• Keyontae Johnson– G/F, Florida.
• Trayce-Jackson Davis– PF, Indiana.
• James Bouknight– G, UConn.
• David Johnson– PG, Louisville.

Tier 2

Late 1st/Early 2nd talent+

• Oscar Tshiebwe– C, West Virginia.
• Scottie Lewis– G/F, Florida.
• Miles “Deuce” McBride– G, West Virginia.
• Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland- G, VCU.
• Wendell Moore– F, Duke.
• Romeo Weems– F, DePaul.
• DJ Carton– G, Marquette.
• Will Richardson– G, Oregon.
• Terrence Shannon Jr.– G/F, Texas Tech.

Tier 3

Draftable, more to prove

• Spencer Jones– G/F, Stanford.
• Marcus Zegarowski– PG, Creighton.
• Santi Aldama– F, Loyola.
• Kessler Edwards– F, Pepperdine.
• Matthew Hurt– PF, Duke.
• Anton Watson– F, Gonzaga.
• Josiah-Jordan James– G, Tennessee.
• Taevion Kinsey– G- Marshall.
• Joe Wieskamp– G- Iowa.
• Ron Harper Jr.- G/F- Rutgers.

Tier 4

On the NBA radar

• Marcus Garrett– G, Kansas.
• Ochai Agbaji– G/F, Kansas.
• Sam Hauser– F, Virginia.
• Joey Hauser– F, Michigan St.
• Seth Towns– F, Ohio St.
• Aamir Simms- F, Clemson.
• AJ Lawson– G, South Carolina.
• Justin Champagnie– G/F, Pittsburgh.
• Sam Williamson– G/F, Louisville.
• Bryan Antoine– G, Villanova.
• DJ Jeffries– G/F, Memphis.
• Nahziah Carter– G/F, Washington.
• Isaac Likekele– G, Oklahoma St.
• Jaime Jaquez Jr.– G/F, UCLA.
• Feron Hunt– F, SMU.
• Isaiah Mobley– F/C, USC.

Sleepers:

• David Duke– G, Providence.
• Davion Mitchell– G, Baylor.
• Caleb Mills– G, Houston.
• Michael Devoe– G/F, Georgia Tech.
• Mitch Ballock– G, Creighton.
• Matt Bradley– G, California.
• Johnny Juzang– G/F, UCLA.
• Manny Bates– C, NC State.
• Christian Koloko– C, Arizona.

“Bonus 15”: Honorable mentions

• Drew Timme– F/C, Gonzaga.
• Neemias Queta– C, Utah St.
• N’Faly Dante- C, Oregon.
• Dylan Disu– F, Vanderbilt.
• Jaden Shackelford– G, Alabama.
• MJ Walker– G, Florida St.
• Justice Sueing– F, Ohio St.
• RJ Cole– G, UConn.
• Julian Champagnie– F, St. John’s.
• Herb Jones- G/F, Alabama.
• George Conditt IV– C, Iowa St.
• Jordan Schakel– G/W- San Diego St.
• Armando Bacot– F/C, UNC.
• RaiQuan Gray– F, Florida St.
• Chris Duarte– G/F, Oregon.

Categories: NBA Draft, NBA GLeague, NCAA, NCAAB, Sports

Tags: College Basketball, College prospects, March Madness, NBA Draft, NBA Draft Prospects, NCAA, NCAAB