The Best Of The Rest: Those Not Selected In The NBA Draft

Marquette's Vander Blue is among those undrafted who now must impress an NBA team this summer. (nydailynews.com)

Not every dream came true at the NBA Draft on June 27. Overlooked in the surprise of the picks and the hot-potato-like game of trading players are the guys who never heard their names called. Many will still get their chance playing on summer league teams, but the thrill of hearing their name read and having a hat to put on with pride was lost.

You will notice many of these players came out early, some questionably, showing the negative side to leaving school for a shot at the NBA. Everyone wants to get to the league as quickly as possible, but it doesn't work out for everyone, and another year in school can greatly benefit some of these players' games and lives.

That being said, we take a look at some of the notable names whose dream didn't come true on June 27 and will now look to get another chance this summer.

C.J. Leslie - North Carolina State
The 6'9" Wolfpack forward going undrafted was probably one of the more surprising of those left out on draft day. Leslie burst onto the national scene two years ago as he helped take NC State to the Sweet 16. Despite averaging 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season, the team's disappointing performance took the limelight off Leslie, and his thin frame at just 200 pounds could have been a factor in teams passing up on him.

Khalif Wyatt - Temple
Wyatt was a scoring machine last season for Temple, averaging 20.5 points per game and terrifying opposing defenses. The senior guard scored 30 or more points seven times last season, including back-to-back 31-point games in the NCAA Tournament. Wyatt was not exceptional at racking up assists or rebounds, and turned the ball over three times per game, but his offensive skill set should be enough for him to land on a team.

Myck Kabongo - Texas
Missing the first 23 games of last season due to suspension for NCAA violations hurt the Texas sophomore's stock, but when he did return during conference play, he made the most of it. Kabongo averaged 14.6 points, five rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, although he struggled from behind the arc (shooting just 29.6 percent) and being only 6'1" did not help him in the eyes of NBA GMs.  

Vander Blue - Marquette
When your own coach questions if you should be leaving school early for the draft, that might be a red flag. Sure, Blue greatly improved his scoring last season, and yes, next year's draft class is predicted to be much deeper, but Blue probably should have returned to Marquette for another year. Blue still struggles from 3-point range (30 percent) and averaged more turnovers (2.3) than assists (1.8), which is never a good sign.

Phil Pressey - Missouri
Pressey may have been the best passing point guard in the country last season for Missouri, not just for his 7.1 assists per game, but how he facilitated the offense. Pressey also contributed 11.9 points per game, but did so shooting less than 40 percent from the field. The Tiger point guard also had a string of bad performances in key moments at the end of games and his size (listed as 5'11.5" with shoes) left NBA teams hesitant. Still, Pressey's awareness, passing skills and ability to see the floor should allow him to land on a team this summer.

Other notable undrafted players: 
Brandon Paul - Illinois
Trevor Mbakwe - Minnesota
Adonis Thomas - Memphis
Matthew Dellavedova - St. Mary's
Seth Curry - Duke

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If Myck Kabongo Is Ruled Ineligible, Texas Will Suffer

Texas sophomore Myck Kabongo is being investigated for receiving improper benefits from an agent. (burntorangenation.com)

Texas sophomore guard Myck Kabongo is the latest college athlete to be investigated for his involvement with an agent, and if wrong-doing is found, it will be the team that will pay the biggest price.

The NCAA is reviewing Kabongo's relationship with agent Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James, and if Paul paid for a trip to Cleveland and a workout for Kabongo last May. Kabongo has yet to be ruled ineligible and is practicing with the team.

But should the NCAA find that Kabongo received improper benefits from Paul, he could be ruled ineligible for a portion of the season. This is a punishment the Longhorns can't afford.

Kabongo is just a sophomore, but on a team with only two seniors and no juniors, Kabongo will be looked at as one of the leaders. His numbers as a freshman were good, but many expected him to blossom in his second year. He averaged 9.6 ppg last season — good for the third highest on the team — and lead the team with 5.2 assists per contest.

One of the reasons his numbers should improve is there will be more shots to go around with the departure of leading scorer J'Covan Brown. Brown averaged 20.1 ppg and in doing so took 535 shots, nearly double the amount of any other teammate.

Without Kabongo in the lineup, Texas could have trouble finding people to score, and with their non-conference scheduling, this could lead to losses. The chances are if Kabongo is suspended, it will not be for the majority of the season, which is good for Texas with Kansas and Baylor waiting early on in conference play. But Rick Barnes likes to challenge his team early in the season, and Kabongo will need to be on the floor.


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The Longhorns' December schedule looks like a murderer's row of blue-blood programs. After facing Georgetown and UCLA in a four-day span in early December, Texas has back-to-back games just two games later against North Carolina and Michigan State before Christmas. It's tough enough to survive that stretch at full strength, but without Kabongo, the Longhorns might be happy coming away with two wins.

A ruling has not yet been made, so right now this is all a worst-case scenario. But Texas fans should hope a ruling comes quickly if the decision holds Kabongo out of games. That way maybe he just misses the month of November.

Because the longer the ruling takes, and the closer it gets to that December gauntlet, the more worried Texas should be to make it into conference play without a few L's.