College basketball 10 takes: 'Stay-or-go' decisions are rounding out rosters; What is Kentucky's plan? – 247Sports

Both Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland — two of the top prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft — announced Wednesday that they would eschew college basketball and sign with G League Ignite. The Holland news is certainly a blow for Arkansas and Texas, and Buzelis’ decision could mean that the No. 1 pick in back-to-back drafts does not play a second of college basketball. Yet, Wednesday was an all-time day for interest in the sport. The May 31 deadline for underclassmen to either stay in the NBA Draft or return to the college ranks brought a Signing Day-like buzz to the sport with dozens of coaches, players and fans waiting with bated breath for the dominoes to drop.
The drama did not disappoint.
Purdue’s reigning National Player of the Year, Zach Edey, announced his return for another season and the Boilermakers vault into mix for a gaudy preseason top-five ranking. Oscar Tshiebwe, who won National Player of the Year for Kentucky in 2022, caught some by surprise by choosing to stay in the NBA Draft, as 247Sports’ Travis Branham first reported. In between Edey and Tshiebwe were a boatload of program-defining decisions that will have major ramifications on the 2023-24 campaign.
Get the latest football and basketball transfer portal news from 247Sports.

Editor’s note: 247Sports’ college basketball writer Isaac Trotter takes a deep dive into the college basketball slate with notes, takeaways and statistical oddities that jump out.
It’s hard to find a better offseason than what Kyle Neptune just put together. The second-year Villanova coach managed to get Eric Dixon and Justin Moore back for another season. He kept Mark Armstrong out of the transfer portal, and he dipped into the free agency pool for some heavy hitters. Villanova totally reshaped the ceiling of the roster with the additions of Richmond wing Tyler Burton, Maryland wing Hakim Hart, Washington State guard TJ Bamba and Kentucky big man Lance Ware.
Villanova is suddenly stocked with talent up and down. Moore, Hart, Burton and Bamba form the best collection of wings in the country. Moore and Burton are outstanding offensive dynamos capable of carrying a heavy load. Hart was one of the best role players in the country last season who can be a defensive rover. Bamba is a chiseled, polished scorer who would be one of the top players on any roster. For Villanova, he might have to come off the bench.
Neptune still has to prove himself during the season, but the wealth of options and lineup versatility is obvious. Neptune has so many different tools in his war chest.
Go small? Villanova can do that with a lineup of Armstrong, Moore, Burton, Bamba and Hart. A supersized frontcourt with Dixon and Ware? That can work, too. Maybe meet in the middle with a five-man lineup of Moore, Burton, Bamba, Hart and Dixon? It’s on the table. There are a wealth of possibilities for Neptune and the Villanova staff to tinker with.
The Big East is absolutely loaded, but Villanova is positioned to be one of the heavyweights.
Let’s check in on Kentucky’s 2023-24 roster.
Departed: Sahvir Wheeler (7.7 PPG, transferred to Washington), Daimion Collins (1.9 PPG, transferred to LSU), Jacob Toppin (12.4 PPG, NBA Draft entry), Cason Wallace (11.7 PPG, NBA Draft entry), CJ Fredrick (6.1 PPG, transferred to Cincinnati), Oscar Tshiebwe (16.5 PPG, NBA Draft entry), Chris Livingston (6.3 PPG, NBA Draft entry), Lance Ware (2.0 PPG, transferred to Villanova)
In limbo: Antonio Reeves (14.4 PPG)
Returning: Adou Thiero (2.3 PPG), Ugonna Onyenso (2.5 PPG)
Newcomers: Justin Edwards (five-star), DJ Wagner (five-star), Aaron Bradshaw (five-star), Robert Dillingham (five-star), Reed Sheppard (four-star)
Oh, my dear Lord. This is BLEAK.
Seven players. Five freshmen. Two sophomores. ON JUNE FIRST!?
John Calipari clearly bet on retention while giving his top-rated recruiting class little competition for playing time. Retainment went up into flames Wednesday, and the game plan to build around youth is totally opposite the new reality of “get old, stay old” in the transfer portal era.
Substantial NIL offers were extended to both Tshiebwe and Livingston. Both passed on it for the NBA. Maybe Livingston is getting bad advice. He had a chance to be a flat-out star in Year 2 at Lexington. Maybe Tshiebwe just wanted to be done with school and chase his NBA dream. After the two years of relentless effort he’s given Kentucky, the former National Player of the Year deserves to do whatever he wants. College basketball will miss you, Oscar Tshiebwe.
Blame it on iffy decision-making by college kids or bad forecasting in the transfer portal, but it’s clear Calipari has mismanaged the roster this offseason.
Fredrick and Collins were both pieces Kentucky wanted to keep around, but both guys opted to transfer closer to home for various reasons. That’s totally acceptable, but it still stings.
Instead of a highly-active approach in the transfer portal to buff up the rotation with proven veterans, Kentucky has been much pickier. It pushed for top-rated big man Hunter Dickinson, but Tshiebwe’s complicated stay-or-go decision threw a wrench into that process. Kansas was a smoother, cleaner destination, and Dickinson made the easy choice to sign up with Bill Self. Kentucky pushed for Keshad Johnson, a veteran, lunch-pail forward who would’ve been perfect for this ultra-young roster. Johnson opted to transfer to Arizona.
Outside of Dickinson and Johnson, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another transfer that Kentucky has been in the red zone with. Was that to make sure the recruiting class stayed intact?
It’s just peculiar. Surely, there has to be an explanation or a backup plan. Or is this a disconnect on the importance of the portal for one of college basketball’s most-recognizable coaches?
After Wednesday’s bloodbath, Kentucky has reached crisis mode.
Kentucky can still salvage the offseason, but it’s going to take a herculean effort. While other programs have their rosters mostly finalized, Kentucky has six (!) spots to fill. Keeping Reeves out of the transfer portal is the first priority. Kentucky was finally linked to prized Creighton transfer Arthur Kaluma who exited from the NBA Draft on Wednesday. Calipari just has to get Kaluma. St. John’s transfer David Jones would be another solid addition, but he already used up his free first transfer, so he may need a waiver to play right away if he isn’t able to graduate.
But the margin for error is completely gone. It’s now or never.
Five-star guard Arterio Morris being the fourth-best guard for Texas last year showcased just how loaded the Longhorns were in the back court. Michigan State is going to have a similar problem in 2023-24. Jaden Akins, A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker are all back. Tre Holloman had some intriguing spot minutes off the bench last year. He has a chance to be the fourth guard if he can beat out prized freshman Jeremy Fears who is the No. 31-rated player in the Class of 2023. Tom Izzo just has an absurd amount of depth at lead guard. Michigan State is positioned to withstand any knicks or bruises from the grueling campaign.
Is it the best backcourt in the country? It sure feels like it. Houston’s collection of LJ Cryer, Jamal Shead, Damian Dunn and some stud youngsters is certainly in the mix. Cases can be made for Creighton, North Carolina, Miami, Duke, Alabama, USC, Tennessee or Florida Atlantic, but the Spartans have a lot of answers to the test.
Tennessee’s roster is absolutely jam-packed with talent after Wednesday’s news that Josiah-Jordan James would return for another season. How will the scholarship chart work out? That remains to be seen. Currently, Tennessee is one extra player over the limit, so another move might be on the way. But as of now, Tennessee is built to win the SEC. The NCAA Tournament can be very random, but the 18-game conference schedule is a better indication of true depth and talent. Tennessee has both in spades. If the Vols do not make a major push for the SEC crown, something tragically wrong occurred. This roster is so old and has amassed a ton of skill, muscle and versatility.
Even if Zakai Zeigler’s recovery from an ACL injury is stalled, then Tennessee still can make a strong case for the deepest team in the league. Santiago Vescovi (110 career starts), James (87 career starts), Dalton Knecht (77 career starts) and Chris Ledlum (41 career starts) have played a ton of ball. Jahmai Mashack, Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka are high-level role players who were so impactful on at least one side of the floor last year. A healthy Zeigler should be poised to flourish with this group of competent veterans and enticing youngsters.
Barnes kicked the second-weekend narrative to the curb last year. But Tennessee will have even higher expectations in 2023-24. It’ll all be warranted.
Davonte “Devo” Davis is coming back to Arkansas after turning into a monster midway through the season and in the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas’ backcourt is absolutely jam-packed with talent. Freshman Layden Blocker is a four-star, fringe top-50 prospect in the Class of 2023. But Arkansas loaded up on guards in the transfer portal with El Ellis (Louisville), Khalif Battle (Temple), Tramon Mark (Houston) and Keyon Menifield Jr. (Washington). You can’t forget about soon-to-be-sophomore Joseph Pinion who gave Arkansas some solid minutes off the bench as a rookie.
That’s seven guards trying to split 120 minutes. Someone isn’t going to be happy. But this isn’t anything new to Eric Musselman. He creates ridiculously jam-packed rosters and forces high-level competition for playing time. The cream will rise to the top. But man, the journey to finding who the dudes are could be a war.
So, Creighton is, uh, better. Even after losing two fantastic starters like all-world point guard Ryan Nembhard who transferred to Gonzaga and high-flying wing Arthur Kaluma to the transfer portal, Creighton will head into 2023-24 with enormous expectations. The Bluejays got great news Wednesday when Trey Alexander announced he will run it back. Alexander returns to join a roster that features Big East Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Ryan Kalkbrenner, star guard Baylor Scheierman and prized Utah State point guard Steven Ashworth who shot 42.9% from 3-point range on more than seven attempts per game.
L.O.A.D.E.D.
Ashworth won’t be asked to single-handedly replace Nembhard’s adept ability to run the team because Creighton literally can play with three pseudo-point guards at the same time. Scheierman is uber-comfortable making wise decisions in ball screens. Alexander had strong showings at the NBA Draft Combine playing point guard, and that ball-dominant role should grow with Nembhard off to Zag Land. Ashworth proved time and time again that he can play both on and off the ball.
Of course, Kalkbrenner is the piece that holds it all together on both ends. The 7-foot-1, 260-pound center is a monster who possesses a soft touch on offense and an intimidating presence at the rim on the defensive end. Francisco Farabello, Mason Miller, Fredrick King, Johnathan Lawson, Isaac Traudt and a host of others round out what should be an improved Creighton bench.
The Big East is going to cannibalize itself in the regular season, and it’s poised to dominate in March. Again.
The first year with a ballyhooed transfer can be really good. But the second year can be special.
Why is that important? Twelve of the top-30 transfers from the 2022 cycle are slated to return to their respective programs for a second season: Norchad Omier (Miami), Bryce Hopkins (Providence), Devin Carter Jr. (Providence), Mark Sears (Alabama), Jahmir Young (Maryland), Johni Broome (Auburn), Trevon Brazile (Arkansas), Kevin McCullar (Kansas), Nijel Pack (Miami), Baylor Scheierman (Creighton), Tyrese Hunter (Texas) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois). If Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) and Isiaih Mosley (Missouri) return to their respective programs, they can make it 14.
None are bigger than Shannon. The chiseled Illinois wing was a First Team All-Big Ten selection last season after totaling 17.2 points per game. Shannon was widely regarded as a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Shannon and Coleman Hawkins teamed up to return to Champaign for another season. Of the players who chose to exit the NBA Draft, Shannon arguably had one of the best shots at a guaranteed contract.
Shannon was terrific for the Illini in Year 1. But history says something even bigger and better could be coming in Year 2. Winning Big Ten Player of the Year might be tough with Edey back, but an All-American campaign is viable if Shannon follows in the footsteps of Kolek and Pickett.
At the NBA Combine, Texas wing Dillon Mitchell told 247Sports that Rodney Terry’s offseason additions were a “big factor” in his looming stay-or-go decision. Texas had a wide-open spot at the 3 for Mitchell if he wanted it. Just before the final deadline, Mitchell withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and will return to Texas for a second season. It’s a big win for Terry because Mitchell seemed pretty intent on staying in the draft if at all possible.
Now comes the hard part. Mitchell does not return to Texas without at least some semblance of promise that things will be different. Max Abmas and Tyrese Hunter will patrol the back court. Kadin Shedrick and Dylan Disu will man the front court. Texas desperately needs Mitchell to be a difference-maker on the wing after losing Ron Holland to the G League. Mitchell might have started every game for Texas last year, but he was strapped to the bench for a lot of important possessions. He wasn’t part of their best five-man lineup. He can change that.
“We’ll see how they will use me,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, there are different ways. Expecting different ways. Looking at their roster and seeing where I’d fit in. They’ve picked up some good guys, I know that for sure.”
On paper, a three-man trio of Mitchell, Disu and Shedrick has the ability to be absolutely nasty defensively. But there are some questions about the spacing. Mitchell is gambling that he can be a much-improved player. Texas better hope that gamble pays off.
1. UConn’s Andre Jackson staying in the NBA Draft: The Swiss Army-like forward helped UConn win a ring and his stock is at its peak. It’s a smart decision that hopefully sparks a long, productive career.
2. Branden Carlson returning to Utah: Carlson was one of the best big men in the Pac-12 last season. Utah getting him back for another year should give Craig Smith a shot to sneak into the NCAA Tournament.
3. Missouri’s Kobe Brown staying in the NBA Draft: There are just so many EJ Liddell vibes with Brown. He shined in Mizzou’s pro-like system last year, and he’s ready to be a difference-maker. He’s been jumping up draft boards, and that won’t stop down the stretch.
4. Tennessee’s Julian Phillips staying in the NBA Draft: Phillips’ game is built for the acres of space the NBA provides. Entering the transfer portal was clearly a backup option because he chose not to enter until after the May 1 deadline the SEC has enacted to transfer to another in-conference program. When Phillips went off at the NBA Draft Combine, that all but sealed the reality that Phillips’ days of playing college basketball were over.
5. Judah Mintz returning to Syracuse: Just massive for Syracuse. The Orange’s backcourt of J.J. Starling and Mintz is young, toolsy and so exciting. It’s a new era of Syracuse basketball, and Mintz can be a great face of the program for the next year. His stock should rise considerably ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Disclaimer: These decisions were puzzling to me. These are tough calls with life-changing money at stake, but these players had more access to information than I did. Hopefully, it ends up looking like the right decision down the road.
1. Kentucky’s Chris Livingston staying in the NBA Draft: Livingston was just scratching the surface of his potential. Maybe a team takes a gamble on his upside in the second round, but he’s currently slated to be undrafted by most respected mock drafts. I thought another year of seasoning at Kentucky could’ve helped him parlay this stock into no doubt, first-round consideration in 2024.
2. Washington State’s Justin Powell staying in the NBA Draft: Kyle Smith and the Washington State coaching staff just keep getting shredded. Talented guys just keep leaving. Powell isn’t featured on many draft projections and had a chance to take another step forward in Year 2 for Wazzu. He passed on it.
3. Gonzaga’s Malachi Smith staying in the NBA Draft: Smith really isn’t projected to be a top-100 prospect. Maybe it’s as simple as he looked at Gonzaga’s stacked backcourt and didn’t want to risk sitting on the bench again. Thought he could’ve been a major addition to the transfer portal after Gonzaga landed Ryan Nembhard.
4. Terrence Shannon Jr. returning to Illinois: I thought he had a great chance to be a second-round draft pick and he’s already played four years of college basketball. But hey, Brad Underwood is certainly fired up to get an extra year from his All-Big Ten alpha.
5. Northwestern’s Chase Audige staying in the NBA Draft: “Run it back” was a key theme for Northwestern. It got Boo Buie back. But Audige opted to stay. Certainly, the All-Defense candidate showcased a ton at the collegiate ranks, but I thought there was a shot he’d go ring-chasing with Buie for a Big Ten crown after falling a little bit short last year.
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