Give it another year

Good morning! It should be a busy day for players with NBA Draft decisions to make. Here’s the latest.

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1. Should they stay or should they go?

Today’s the last day underclassmen can withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft and return to college hoops. Some key players already made their choices — skip to our second headline for that — so we’ll focus on the ones who are still deciding.

To set the stage, here’s the list Jeff Goodman presented last week regarding the key names and what NBA executives thought.

So what should those players do?

Meleek Thomas: Return to Arkansas

It was surprising to see nearly all the executives say Thomas should go pro. If he stays, the 6-5 guard could be an All-American and would make Arkansas a sure-fire top-10 squad. 

If he leaves? Arkansas still brings in a stacked recruiting class, but won’t have a star of Thomas’s caliber.  

Milan Momcilovic: Hit the portal

Momcilovic led D-I in 3-point shooting this season (48.7% on 279 attempts) and indicated he needs to be a first-rounder to stay in the draft. That’s because he’s reportedly looking at a $7 million NIL payday going back to school.

Among the interested parties for the 6-9 senior include Louisville, Kentucky, St John’s, and even Arizona.

Koa Peat: Return to Arizona

A top-10 recruit in the 2025 class, Peat averaged 14.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 2.8 apg this season. That production kept him in the first round on many draft boards.

However, he’s 6-8 power forward who struggled shooting at the NBA Combine — and his form at his agency pro day looked even worse. Those are valid concerns given that Peat went 7-20 from 3 and shot 62% from the foul line in his freshman year.

We'll see if Peat ends up going pro. He'll probably still be a first-rounder. But some NIL money is nice, too.

Tyler Tanner: Return to Vanderbilt

Of all the players on this list, none had a better season than Tanner. In his breakout sophomore year, Tanner averaged 19.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, and swiped 2.4 spg.

The issue is Tanner measured in at 5-10¾ at the NBA Combine. He does a lot of things well, but everyone in the NBA is bigger, faster, and stronger. He can risk falling in the draft due to his size — or be the king of Nashville for at least another year and make more money while doing so.

Plus, Vandy needs Tanner. He's an All-American type player and Vandy's current backcourt without him is a concern.

Jeremy Fears Jr.: Return to Michigan State

There seemed to be buzz surrounding Fears Jr.'s NBA chances.

Still, it feels likely he ends up back in East Lansing. He averaged 15.2 ppg and 9.4 apg, which led the country. The issue is Fears shot 32% from 3.

Teams can look at his 88% free throw percentage and hope NBA spacing can unlock his long-range shooting. But he isn't a projected first-round pick, and the money is in East Lansing. If he shoots it better next year, Fears Jr. could be a first-rounder.

Amari Allen: Return to Alabama

Allen played a pivotal role as Alabama’s glue guy. That vaulted him from Top 75 recruit to a projected first-round pick. He’s got a varied skill set and showed off his scoring, rebounding, and passing, averaging 11.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 3.1 apg, and shot 34% from 3.

However, Allen measured in at 6-5¼, three inches below his listed height at Alabama. He played the three and four last year, but teams won’t be able to play him at the 4, and some won’t even do it at the 3. He’s better off returning to school and developing more offensive skill.

Tounde Yessoufou: Hit the portal

Yessoufou’s the number two player in the portal and could command a big payday if he withdraws from the draft.

He’s got an ideal NBA shooting guard build (6-5 and 215 pounds). He's physical and an elite driver, leading to him averaging 17.8 ppg at Baylor. But he shot just 29% from deep. By returning to school, he could command a hefty payday in a weaker 2027 NBA draft.

Billy Richmond: Return to Arkansas

Arkansas must love this list.

The uber-athletic Richmond averaged 11.2 ppg and 4.3 rpg in his sophomore season. NBA teams had to love Richmond's 41-inch vertical at the combine. He's an elite athlete and could be a nice role player in the pros. But like the others on this list, he struggled to hit 3s (17-of-74; 23%) from deep in two college seasons.

I imagine he takes another year to try being a passable shooter, then goes pro in 2027.

Andrej Stojakovic: Return to Illinois

The 6-7 wing thrived in Champaign, averaging 13.5 ppg, en route to a final four at Illinois. He made his mark as a driver, shooting 50% from the field, but just 24% from deep.

As Stojakovic isn't mocked as a first-round pick, I expect him to return to Illinois. He could garner a larger offensive role with Keaton Wagler gone and be one of the best players in the Big Ten. All the NBA execs agreed, too.

2. Anderson, Graves stay in draft. But Able?

Now let’s get to the players who have decided about the NBA.

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