The upsets in the 2014 NCAA Tournament could affect the upcoming NBA draft. Duke forward Jabari Parker appears more likely to stay another year, and Kansas guard Andrew Wiggins could now be entertaining the possibility of foregoing the 2014 draft.
Parker enjoyed an outstanding season, but Mercer cut his freshman campaign short with Friday's second-round upset. Before the loss, a report in January indicated Parker was already leaning toward playing at least one more season at Duke because of the talented incoming freshmen class, which includes commitments from Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow.
"...The growing view among NBA executives seems to be Jabari Parker will not leave Duke this year," Sam Smith of Bulls.com wrote on Jan. 21. "Chicagoan Jahlil Okafor, a Parker friend and big man, is going to Duke next season. Parker is a bright young man with a strong family and the feeling is he understands both the importance of education and feels he owes Duke and the chance to have a great Duke team, which more than likely is the next two seasons.
"Plus, Parker has seen what staying in school has done for other greats compared with the tough starts for even stars like Kobe Bryant."
After Duke's early exit from the NCAA Tournament, it's reasonable to conclude Parker's desire to return for another season is even stronger. Parker isn't the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, and returning for another season of college ball would give him another chance to win a title -- especially with Duke already looking like an improved team, at least on paper, next season.
Wiggins is expected to declare for the upcoming draft, but his team's early exit -- and his underwhelming performance in the upset loss -- could have him considering playing another year for coach Bill Self.
He isn't the consensus No. 1 pick for the draft, and his performance -- four points on 1-of-6 shooting and four turnovers -- in Kansas' third-round loss to Stanford may have hurt his draft stock, making it worthwhile for him to remain in school.
"I let a lot of people down," Wiggins said after the loss, via Fox Sports. "If I would have played better, we wouldn't be in this situation, you know? I blame myself for this."
Whether teammate Joel Embiid, who's another projected top pick, declares for the draft could also affect Wiggins's decision to return.
Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis could be another example of a player who foregoes the 2014 draft after his team's surprising third-round loss to No. 11 seed Dayton.
