Decisions Looming

With the deadline to declare for the NBA days away, and the Spring Signing Period for incoming recruits upon us, we should get some clarity on how things look across the landscape of college basketball next season. There are a few things to keep an eye on over the next few days and weeks:

NBA Decisions

Rumors on Twitter say that both CJ Fair (Syracuse) and Russ Smith (Louisville) will return to school for their senior seasons. They have yet to make that official however. Those decisions would be huge for their teams and their preseason ranking.

Another large decision is Adreian Payne from Michigan State. If he returns, they will likely be a Top 5 team nationally and compete with Michigan for the Big Ten title. If he chooses the NBA, that will hurt them considerably, for he is their only true inside threat (with Nix graduating).

An under the radar team, Baylor, is waiting on decisions from Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson. They are hoping to build off their NIT title. UCONN is postseason eligible once again, and they are waiting to hear what their backcourt of Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright are doing. They could be a very dangerous squad if they both return. Colorado should return their core from their NCAA Tourney qualifying team, but that depends on if Andre Roberson is coming back. And it will be interesting to see if Jamil Wilson (Marquette) follows his teammate Vander Blue into the draft or not.

Other decisions to keep an eye on are Doug McDermott, Shane Larkin, and Jarnell Stokes. All of these decisions will affect how successful these teams are next year, and where they will be ranked early on.

Transfers

Switching schools has become a very popular thing today recently and this year is no exception. While many transfers will have to sit out next season (Rodney Purvis, Angel Rodriquez, Trevor Lacey to name a few), some will be eligible immediately. That would change next year's outlook also.

Mike Moser is one of the big names out there making a decision. It seems that he is down to Washington, Oregon, and Gonzaga. While he would help Washington and Oregon out a lot, going to Gonzaga would ensure their ranked status once again, and would help replace what they lost in All-American Kelly Olynyk.

Another decision to keep an eye on is Eli Carter of Rutgers. First, the NCAA has to rule on if he will be able to play immediately next season or not. Then, where will he go? He led Rutgers in scoring this season by averaging around 15 a game. Could be a great get for a team.

Memphis soon-to-be graduates Tarik Black and Antonio Barton are transferring also. They should be eligible immediately depending on their graduating status (looks like they will get this done). What schools will go after these athletes.

Lastly, Tulane big man Josh Davis will transfer and can play right away. He averaged close to 18 points a game along with over 10 rebounds a game last season. He now must decide where to play. Maybe he'll end up on a team in the Top 25.

Freshmen

Really, we're only waiting on one freshman to make up his mind. And that would be the #1 player in the country, Andrew Wiggins. He is down to Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, and Florida State.

Kentucky will be #1 heading into next seasons regardless of if Wiggins chooses them or not. But if he did, people would start talking about an undefeated season.

If he chooses North Carolina or Kansas, I think those teams go from a teen or 20's preseason ranking to a Top 5-10 ranking. They would each go from a contender to a favorite in their respective conferences. North Carolina in particular would be outstanding.

And if he chooses Florida State, they would be more competitive for sure, but I still wouldn't include them in my Top 25. I think a lot of coaches would be happy to seem him choose the Seminals.

The bottom line is, within a week or two much of this will be cleared up. At that point, we'll be able to paint a more accurate picture of the 2013-2014 college basketball season. Stay tuned!

By: Andrew Miller