The NIL era of college basketball comes with drawbacks, but it also means players who previously would have declared for the NBA Draft are returning to school — either with their original teams or new ones via the transfer portal.
Only 106 players declared early for the 2025 NBA Draft — the fewest since 2015, when just 91 elected to forgo their remaining eligibility to turn pro. That trend has played out this offseason with players like Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, who bypassed the draft process entirely thanks to a lucrative NIL deal.
Several players in this year’s class still have a decision to make ahead of the May 28 stay-or-go draft deadline. One of them is Florida starting center Alex Condon, who played a key role in the Gators’ run to the national title. Condon is a borderline late first-round pick, and his return would likely solidify Florida as a preseason top-five team.
Here are five players who should bypass the 2025 NBA Draft and return to school.
Alex Condon, Florida
2024-25 season stats: GP: 37 | PPG: 10.6 | RPG: 7.5 | APG: 2.2
Florida’s star big man started all but two games during a magical 2024-25 season. Condon recorded at least 10 rebounds in 10 regular-season games last year, but couldn’t match that production in the NCAA Tournament. He suffered an ankle injury against Maryland in the Sweet 16 but was able to return for the stretch run.
Another college year could do wonders for Condon’s long-term draft stock. The 6-foot-11 forward/center is projected to go at the end of the first round in several mock drafts, but he could easily slide into the second round. If Condon does return, it would reinforce Florida’s already deep frontcourt as arguably the best in the country.
2024-25 season stats: GP: 30 | PPG: 12.3 | RPG: 4.4 | APG: 2.7
The lengthy 6-foot-7 wing is coming off a breakout 2024-25 campaign. After appearing in 34 games off the bench the previous season, Byrd started 30 games and averaged career highs in points, steals, blocks, assists and rebounds.
Byrd is a volume 3-point shooter who connected on 30.1% of his 5.9 attempts per night. The SDSU star projects as a second-round pick, so it would be wise for him to return to build off a standout season.
2024-25 season stats: GP: 36 | PPG: 16.2 | RPG: 4.7 | APG: 1.7
Oweh was a key member of Kentucky coach Mark Pope’s first transfer portal class when he took the job at his alma mater last offseason. Less than 13 months later, he will have a decision to make on his future:
Oweh averaged a career-high 16.2 points and 1.6 steals during his first season with the Wildcats. Kentucky has rebuilt its roster this offseason mostly through the transfer portal, but members of last year’s team running it back include Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler and Trent Noah. If Oweh does return, it would be a huge win for Pope and his staff.
2024-25 season stats: GP: 38 | PPG: 11.6 | RPG: 2.2 | APG: 3.0
Pettiford is a potential All-American if he returns to Auburn for his sophomore season. Last year the Auburn guard was a true microwave scorer off the bench, and there were multiple occasions when he took over to help the Tigers pull away.
Pettiford is a borderline first-round pick, but he would benefit more than anyone by returning to school. He would be handed the keys to the offense, which could potentially do wonders for his draft stock in 2026.
2024-25 season stats: GP: 40 | PPG: 11.4 | RPG: 3.1 | APG: 4.3
After two seasons at Oklahoma, Uzan took a significant step forward during his first year at Houston. Uzan was the Cougars’ best 3-point shooter, connecting on 42.8% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Outside of Uzan’s performance against Purdue in the Sweet 16 — which saw him score a game-winning bucket to help the Cougars advance — he didn’t have his best showing in the NCAA Tournament. Uzan shot just 5 of 19 against Duke and Florida during the final weekend of the college basketball season and finished with six points in the title game. Uzan running it back would be a perfect marriage for both parties. Houston projects as a preseason top-three team, while the star guard could rebuild and improve his draft stock by playing another season of college basketball.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Realigned Phillies bullpen finds its footing in 5 days following José Alvarado suspension
DENVER — Now the longest-tenured man in the Phillies bullpen, Matt Strahm did not have a speech to make. There wasn’t much to utter in the wake of José Alvarado’s 80-game suspension that both weakened the bullpen and elevated it to the unit that will face the highest scrutiny as spring becomes summer.AdvertisementThere is so much baseball left; all anyone can be certain of is that the Phillies’ bullpen mix will likely not be the same come July or October. But this is who they have right now. It has to work.“That’s kind of always been the mindset of this bullpen since I’ve been in it,” Strahm said. “You look back to the ’23 bullpen. I mean, we had seven closers down there. So a lot of the conversation was: Quit worrying about when you’re throwing, or how you’re throwing. […]
12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino tem Cruzeiro derrotando o Palmeiras fora de casa e goleadas de Flamengo e São Paulo
12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino tem movimentações importantes no G8 (Reprodução/Nayra Halm/Staff Images Woman/CBF) A 12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino foi cheia de gols e jogos importantes na parte de cima da tabela. Um dos confrontos mais movimentados foi a vitória do Flamengo em cima do Internacional, tendo o time carioca chegado a quatro vitórias seguidas. Entretanto, o jogo mais esperado era o duelo entre Cruzeiro e Palmeiras. As Cabulosas conseguiram sair vitoriosas e se mantêm invictas na competição, enquanto o Palmeiras deixa o G4 do campeonato nacional PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Veja como foram as partidas da 12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino Bragantino 2 x 2 Fluminense Abrindo a rodada, tivemos o confronto entre as Bragantinas e o Fluminense. Então, em um jogo movimentado, o Flu foi quem saiu na frente aos 25 minutos com Lelê. Entretanto, logo em seguida, aos […]
Former MLB player Darin Ruf sues Reds over injury caused by running into tarp in 2023
Former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Darin Ruf is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages as a result of what he described as a career-ending injury suffered when he ran into a tarp at Great American Ball Park in 2023.According to the Associated Press, Ruf’s attorney filed a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas that charged the Reds with negligence in failing to maintain safe field conditions. The lawsuit specifically cites an unpadded metal tarp roller.AdvertisementA Cincinnati Reds spokesperson said Thursday evening that the team had no comment on the lawsuit.On June 2, 2023, in a game between the Reds and Brewers, Ruf chased after a Kevin Newman foul pop fly but ran into the tarp as the ball was coming down near the netting that separates the playing field from the stands along the right-field line. Ruf […]
Former MLB player Darin Ruf sues Reds over injury caused by running into tarp in 2023
Former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Darin Ruf is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages as a result of what he described as a career-ending injury suffered when he ran into a tarp at Great American Ball Park in 2023.According to the Associated Press, Ruf’s attorney filed a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas that charged the Reds with negligence in failing to maintain safe field conditions. The lawsuit specifically cites an unpadded metal tarp roller.AdvertisementA Cincinnati Reds spokesperson said Thursday evening that the team had no comment on the lawsuit.On June 2, 2023, in a game between the Reds and Brewers, Ruf chased after a Kevin Newman foul pop fly but ran into the tarp as the ball was coming down near the netting that separates the playing field from the stands along the right-field line. Ruf […]
Timberwolves vs. Thunder: Game delayed early after Scott Foster injury, with old nemesis Chris Paul in the building
Game 2 of the Western Conference finals saw an early delay after a play ended in a bloody nose for veteran official Scott Foster.The injury occurred when Foster presided over a jump ball between Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. Randle got the ball, while Dort whiffed and inadvertently struck Foster in the face with his hand.His foot also appeared to connect with Foster's midsection. The game was paused for a couple minutes as Foster received medical attention before returning to the game with an absorption device in his nose to stop the bleeding.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOfficials, including Foster, have taken on-court punishment before — it's the price of overseeing a sport where giants are running and jumping against each other at full-speed for 48 minutes — but where Foster's injury gets curious is who was in […]
Where to watch Thunder vs. Timberwolves: TV channel, live stream NBA playoffs, prediction, time, odds, pick
Imagn Images The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are the two teams left standing in the West. The Thunder and Wolves are meeting in the Western Conference finals with both franchises looking for a long-awaited NBA Finals appearance. Oklahoma City has not been to the NBA Finals since 2012, while the Timberwolves have no Finals appearances in their history. The Thunder pulled away from Minnesota to take Game 1 on Tuesday night. Game 2 is set for Thursday in OKC.The top-seeded Thunder have been the West's top team all season long. They won 68 games in the regular season and swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. But they were tested in the second round by Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. OKC won the second-round series in seven games, blowing out Denver in Game […]
Related
Realigned Phillies bullpen finds its footing in 5 days following José Alvarado suspension
DENVER — Now the longest-tenured man in the Phillies bullpen, Matt Strahm did not have a speech to make. There wasn’t much to utter in the wake of José Alvarado’s 80-game suspension that both weakened the bullpen and elevated it to the unit that will face the highest scrutiny as spring becomes summer.AdvertisementThere is so much baseball left; all anyone can be certain of is that the Phillies’ bullpen mix will likely not be the same come July or October. But this is who they have right now. It has to work.“That’s kind of always been the mindset of this bullpen since I’ve been in it,” Strahm said. “You look back to the ’23 bullpen. I mean, we had seven closers down there. So a lot of the conversation was: Quit worrying about when you’re throwing, or how you’re throwing. […]
12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino tem Cruzeiro derrotando o Palmeiras fora de casa e goleadas de Flamengo e São Paulo
12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino tem movimentações importantes no G8 (Reprodução/Nayra Halm/Staff Images Woman/CBF) A 12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino foi cheia de gols e jogos importantes na parte de cima da tabela. Um dos confrontos mais movimentados foi a vitória do Flamengo em cima do Internacional, tendo o time carioca chegado a quatro vitórias seguidas. Entretanto, o jogo mais esperado era o duelo entre Cruzeiro e Palmeiras. As Cabulosas conseguiram sair vitoriosas e se mantêm invictas na competição, enquanto o Palmeiras deixa o G4 do campeonato nacional PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Veja como foram as partidas da 12ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino Bragantino 2 x 2 Fluminense Abrindo a rodada, tivemos o confronto entre as Bragantinas e o Fluminense. Então, em um jogo movimentado, o Flu foi quem saiu na frente aos 25 minutos com Lelê. Entretanto, logo em seguida, aos […]
Former MLB player Darin Ruf sues Reds over injury caused by running into tarp in 2023
Former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Darin Ruf is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages as a result of what he described as a career-ending injury suffered when he ran into a tarp at Great American Ball Park in 2023.According to the Associated Press, Ruf’s attorney filed a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas that charged the Reds with negligence in failing to maintain safe field conditions. The lawsuit specifically cites an unpadded metal tarp roller.AdvertisementA Cincinnati Reds spokesperson said Thursday evening that the team had no comment on the lawsuit.On June 2, 2023, in a game between the Reds and Brewers, Ruf chased after a Kevin Newman foul pop fly but ran into the tarp as the ball was coming down near the netting that separates the playing field from the stands along the right-field line. Ruf […]
Former MLB player Darin Ruf sues Reds over injury caused by running into tarp in 2023
Former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Darin Ruf is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages as a result of what he described as a career-ending injury suffered when he ran into a tarp at Great American Ball Park in 2023.According to the Associated Press, Ruf’s attorney filed a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas that charged the Reds with negligence in failing to maintain safe field conditions. The lawsuit specifically cites an unpadded metal tarp roller.AdvertisementA Cincinnati Reds spokesperson said Thursday evening that the team had no comment on the lawsuit.On June 2, 2023, in a game between the Reds and Brewers, Ruf chased after a Kevin Newman foul pop fly but ran into the tarp as the ball was coming down near the netting that separates the playing field from the stands along the right-field line. Ruf […]
Timberwolves vs. Thunder: Game delayed early after Scott Foster injury, with old nemesis Chris Paul in the building
Game 2 of the Western Conference finals saw an early delay after a play ended in a bloody nose for veteran official Scott Foster.The injury occurred when Foster presided over a jump ball between Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. Randle got the ball, while Dort whiffed and inadvertently struck Foster in the face with his hand.His foot also appeared to connect with Foster's midsection. The game was paused for a couple minutes as Foster received medical attention before returning to the game with an absorption device in his nose to stop the bleeding.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOfficials, including Foster, have taken on-court punishment before — it's the price of overseeing a sport where giants are running and jumping against each other at full-speed for 48 minutes — but where Foster's injury gets curious is who was in […]
Where to watch Thunder vs. Timberwolves: TV channel, live stream NBA playoffs, prediction, time, odds, pick
Imagn Images The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are the two teams left standing in the West. The Thunder and Wolves are meeting in the Western Conference finals with both franchises looking for a long-awaited NBA Finals appearance. Oklahoma City has not been to the NBA Finals since 2012, while the Timberwolves have no Finals appearances in their history. The Thunder pulled away from Minnesota to take Game 1 on Tuesday night. Game 2 is set for Thursday in OKC.The top-seeded Thunder have been the West's top team all season long. They won 68 games in the regular season and swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. But they were tested in the second round by Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. OKC won the second-round series in seven games, blowing out Denver in Game […]
Be the first to leave a comment