There are a lot of draft prospects who should have immense impacts after returning to school

We didn’t get to see a ton of Marvin Bagley’s younger brother Marcus last year because of injuries, but he was still good enough to earn an invite to the NBA Combine. Bagley was limited to just 12 games in last season’s run amid COVID, but not due to the virus. He suffered a calf strain in December and later suffered an ankle injury.

That said, he had a shot at being a first-round draft pick before withdrawing from the NBA Draft this week, deciding to return to ASU. In those 12 games, the 6-foot-8 combo forward averaged nearly 11 points while pulling down 6.2 rebounds per contest. Coming out of high school, he was a top-30 nationally-ranked prospect, according to Rivals, and will now be entering his sophomore season.

While his twin brother Justin has decided to stay in the draft, Julian Champagnie will return to the Red Storm, leading a team that may find themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the first time under head coach Mike Anderson. Champagnie wasn’t highly recruited the way some of his peers were, but the Bishop Loughlin High School alum quickly became an elite player in the Big East this past season. He won Big East Most Improved Player honors after posting 19.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest on 43 / 38 / 88 shooting splits. The 6-foot-8 swingman has already made one All-Big East First Team, and he’ll likely be in the conversation for the conference’s Player of the Year Award as a junior.

Your No. 1 pick-and-roll finisher from college basketball last season, according to Synergy Sports, was Kofi Cockburn, who led the nation with 78 dunks. The Christ The King High School and Oak Hill Academy alum starred on an Illinois team that went 24-7 last year and earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest bracket before losing to No. 8 seed Loyola (IL) in the Round of 32. Cockburn averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 65 percent from the floor. The 7-foot near-300-pound consensus second-team All-American is returning to school after not loving the feedback from NBA teams after going through the draft process.

“I think I’m ready for the next level, but I wasn’t happy with the input I was getting from NBA teams,” Cockburn said. “I didn’t want to settle. I’m going to return for another year, raise my game and improve my draft stock.”

According to that same ESPN story, he’s weighing his options and might possibly transfer, but expect a decision soon.

The dynamic Kansas swingman is returning for his senior season and was a possible second-rounder, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Agbaji is coming off his best season, where he averaged 14.1 points per game and hit about 38 percent from three while being a team leader on the defensive end. The Jayhawks earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament but lost in the Round of 32 to No. 6 USC, who was led by possible top-2 pick Evan Mobley. Some teams might be hesitant to take chances on quality seniors, but Frank Mason III, Sviatoslav “Svi” Mykhailiuk, and Devonte’ Graham were also picked in the second round out of Kansas since 2017. Graham, especially, has surprised some through his first three seasons. Agbaji could find himself in that mix after one more year.

Former Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang became a college basketball star in UCLA’s run to the Final Four last year. Before losing to national runner-up Gonzaga, Juzang had established himself as the best player on the East Region’s No. 11 seed, who needed to win a First Four game against Michigan State to even break into the Round of 64. The All Pac-12 honoree averaged 22.8 points per game on 51 / 38 / 78 shooting splits during the NCAA Tournament, which earned him All-Tourney honors. UCLA has a legitimate chance to win their 12th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, which would be their first in 27 years. Juzang wrote on his Instagram that, “We’ve got a team full of warriors, and there’s nobody I’d rather fight beside. With [head coach Mick Cronin] and our staff, I’m very excited for this season. Let’s do something special!”

Seven-foot-1, 255-pound center Hunter Dickinson earned second-team All-American honors and was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks as a true freshman in Michigan. MLive reports that Dickinson envisioned being a first-round pick, but was labeled as a second-rounder, which led to his decision to remain in school.

“The combination of where NBA teams had me slotted to get drafted and being able to experience a normal year at Michigan … ultimately led to my decision to come back for another year,” Dickinson said, via MLive.

The Big Ten regular-season champs reached the Elite Eight last season and will enter with higher expectations with Dickinson’s back.

The All-Big Ten forward recorded 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in his first season as a starter with OSU. He shot 47 / 34 / 75 on the year, but despite his improvements, he’s coming back for his junior season to add even more to his game. ESPN reported that after many conversations with family, Liddell determined that going back was ideal.

“I understood that returning was the best thing for me,” he said. “Anyone can get signed to play in the NBA. I absolutely could have gotten a contract. But it’s not about getting in the NBA; it’s about staying in for the long-term.”

Matthew Mayer has never started a game at Baylor, but had an outstanding season off the bench last year as a junior for the National Champions. The 6-foot-9 wing only logged 15.7 minutes per contest but averaged 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 49 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three. Per 40 minutes, his averages translate to 20.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.1 steals. The seventh man came off the bench in Baylor, but in fairness, Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, and Macio Teague — the team’s three leading scorers — have since entered the NBA Draft. Mayer, like Mitchell and Butler, was invited to the Combine but elected to play out his senior campaign, which should provide a huge leap in production.

Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F, Texas Tech 👉

Named All-Big 12 Third Team after averaging 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on 45 / 36 / 76 splits.

Tyson Etienne, G, Wichita State

According to his Wiki, he’s the cousin of DeAndre Jordan and nephew of both Marcus Camby and Omari Hardwick. But according to his game, he was one of the better guards in the country, having won AAC Co-Player of the Year, leading the Shockers with 16.3 points per game while shooting 39 percent from three. Shoutout to Long Island Lutheran.

Scottie Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt

Son of the six-time champ who is now selling bourbon like hell, Pippen Jr. earned first-team All-SEC honors last season following averages of 20.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest.

Armando Bacot, F/C, North Carolina

The 6-foot-10 big posted 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest in Chapel Hill and shot 63 percent while earning All-ACC third-team honors.

Isaiah Mobley, C, USC

His brother Evan is projected to be a top-five, and possibly No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft. Isaiah averaged 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds this season, which should increase as his brother enters the league.