CHICAGO – About a year ago, Willie Cauley-Stein was a first-round lock despite some not-so-gaudy numbers (6.8 points, 6.1 rebounds) after his sophomore year at Kentucky.
As impressive as he was in the eyes of many teams, the UK big man gambled that he would improve his stock even more with another year at Kentucky.
Making his decision even more of a gamble was the fact that the Wildcats were reloading with more talented big men who could potentially take minutes away from him.
But as Kentucky rolled through an undefeated regular season before losing in the Final Four to Wisconsin, Cauley-Stein (make that Willie Trill Cauley-Stein which is now his legal name) established himself as one of the best players in the nation.
And that extra season at Kentucky should pay off for him on June 25 when he’s likely to be a lottery (top-14) pick compared to entering the draft last year where he was projected to be drafted in the teens or early 20s.
"I want to come back and have a chance to win a national championship, while also getting closer to earning my degree," he said at the time of his decision to return for his junior season.
Kentucky had advanced to the national championship game where they lost to former Uconn star Shabazz Napier and the Huskies.
Cauley-Stein suffered an ankle injury in the Sweet 16 and was unable to play in any of the following tournament games. It was unclear if the injury would have prevented him from participating in pre-draft workouts which could have had a negative impact on his draft status.
But the 7-foot center said his decision to return had more to do with improving his game and not necessarily his draft position.
"Being at the Final Four was special, but not being able to help my teammates on the floor was tough,” Cauley-Stein said at the time. "I feel this emptiness in me like I still got something to prove and I still got so much stuff to work on in my game.”
By no means was Cauley-Stein the only player whose return to college this past season bolstered his draft position.
Here’s a look at four other highly-regarded players from a year ago who improved their draft status by electing to bypass the 2014 draft for this year.
Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
Projected draft status this year: Lottery pick (top-14)
2014-2015 stats (Eurocup): 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, shooting 55.6 percent from the field.
Summary: A 7-foot-1 big man with small forward-like skills, his versatility will make him one of the first international players selected. While his lack of strength may be an issue, he has shown really good instincts on both sides of the ball and will surprise many with his ability to be a solid help-defender.
Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
Projected draft status this year: Lottery-pick (top-14) to mid-teens.
2014-2015 stats: 16.5 points, 6.7 assists, 1.7 steals per game
Summary: Being in the NBA is literally in his blood. His dad (Harvey Grant) and uncle (Horace Grant) are former players and his little brother Jerami Grant currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. But Jerian is his own player. He’s 6-foot-5, can play both guard positions which bodes well for his chance to hit the ground running with whatever selects him. The biggest knock on him is his age. He’ll be 23 years old when the season starts, prompting questions as to how much upside remains in his game.
Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
Projected draft status this year: Lottery pick (top-14) to mid-teens
2014-2015 stats: 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists per game.
Summary: Dekker was a solid first-round pick at the end of last season, but catapulted himself into a potential lottery pick with a strong tournament showing in helping lead Wisconsin to a national runner-up finish. In the tournament, he averaged 19.2 points while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 41.7 percent on 3s. At 6-9 with a solid frame, his versatility and shot-making will allow him to compete for playing time early on his NBA career.
Bobby Portis, Power Forward, Arkansas
Projected draft status: Mid-to-late teens of the first round.
2014-2015 stats: 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.4 blocks per game.
Summary: Portis had a strong senior season for the Razorbacks which led to him being named SEC Player of the Year. He has the kind of size (6-10, 235) you want along with an array of skills at the next level. But despite his size, Portis doesn’t have much of a low-post game. He runs the floor really well, and handles the ball good enough to start fast breaks akin to what Joakim Noah does for the Chicago Bulls and what Draymond Green does at times for the Golden State Warriors. Although it’s small sample size, he did shoot 46.7 percent on 3s which means the potential for him to help spread the floor does exist.
