Ohio State Basketball: Mixed bag for Buckeyes who left early for the NBA

Kaleb Wesson is in the process of deciding whether he should turn pro or not. He may want to seek advice from some of these former Buckeyes before making his decision.

During the last dozen years several Ohio State basketball players entered the NBA draft with eligibility remaining. Some made a good move by doing so and with others it may have been the wrong decision.

Let’s first look at players who left for the pros at the right time beginning with three from the same class who left after just one season.

Greg Oden: It’s a no brainer to leave when you are going to be the No. 1 pick. Just think if Oden returned for another year and had his injury situation while playing college ball. He may not have even been drafted and would have lost all of his guaranteed money.

Mike Conley: After his play in the NCAA Tournament run it was assured he would be a high draft pick and was chosen 4th overall. He has had a terrific career and made enough money to buy a third world nation.

Daequan Cook: I am going to put his decision to enter the draft after his freshman year in the correct decision category for these reasons. He had the “P” word (Potential) attached to him coming out of high school and may have been drafted if he were eligible. Then he had a fine freshman season which didn’t hurt matters.

It was time to make the move as many general managers put more importance in potential than performance. Since he probably was going to be drafted in the first round, which he was at No. 21, he took the money and ran. He had a nice NBA career so he probably made the right decision to turn pro when he did.

Evan Turner: After sweeping most National Player of the Year honors why not leave for the NBA. He was the 2nd pick, has had a fine career and made a boatload of money as well.

D’Angelo Russell: He was also the No. 2 pick after his terrific freshman season. After a rocky start in Los Angeles he has become a star in Brooklyn. Great move here.

Jared Sullinger: With the tremendous coaching from his dad the big man was more polished than most young guys when he enrolled at Ohio State. In fact, his size and skill set was similar to Wesson’s last season.

Sullinger came back for one more year and was lighter, more athletic and far more skilled. I think he probably had almost reached his ceiling as a college player after his sophomore season so it was time for him to get paid.

These next big men have had long NBA careers but I think they would have been even better had they came back to college for one more season.

Kosta Koufos: The 7 footer averaged 14.4 ppg as a freshman but was inconsistent during the regular season, primarily because he often played more like a small forward than a center. After leading the Buckeyes to the NIT title Koufos opted to turn pro.

I think if he would have returned to Ohio State for one more season to develop his inside game against guys his own age he would have been drafted higher than No. 23, and would have averaged more than 5.7 ppg for his career.

B.J. (Byron) Mullins: He also would have benefitted from another year of college ball but his weaknesses were the opposite of Koufos’. Even though he was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the year and shot 64 percent from the field most of his scoring was on dunks and shots around the rim.

If he would have come back to Ohio State for one more season he could have improved his footwork, worked on a move or two and possibly developed a 10-15 foot shot. That would certainly have helped the 7 foot center when he entered the pros. He probably would have been chosen before the 24th pick in the draft as well.

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Deshaun Thomas and Keita Bates-Diop: I lump these two together because they were outstanding scorers and I thought they would be drafted higher than what they were.

Thomas averaged 19.8 ppg his junior season but was drafted 58th. He has played in the summer league but not in an NBA game, but he has been playing overseas.

Bates-Diop also averaged 19.8 ppg as a junior and was named Big Ten Player of the Year. He fell to No. 48 in the draft and rode the pine much of his rookie season.

I don’t know if Thomas would have come back for his 4th season or Bates-Diop for his 5th things would have been different. But obviously things didn’t turn out as well as either expected when they left for the NBA early.

LaQuinton Ross made the leap following his junior season but wasn’t drafted.

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Well, there is a look at Buckeyes who entered the NBA draft will eligibility remaining during the last dozen years. I hope Kaleb Wesson will talk to some of them and seek their advice before making his decision whether to turn pro or not.

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