[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10405272/joel-embiid-strongly-considering-staying-sophomore-year-kansas

Kansas 7-footer Joel Embiid told ESPN that he is far from a lock to leave college after this season, and is "strongly considering" returning for his sophomore campaign.

The Cameroon native said prior to Tuesday’s win at Baylor that he didn’t feel as though he was ready to make the jump to the NBA, but added after the game that it will depend largely on his development over the remainder of the season.

Embiid struggled in the 69-52 victory over the Bears, going 1-for-6 from the field and finishing with five points and seven rebounds.

However, Embiid — who has only been playing organized basketball for three years — has quickly become a lock to be taken in the top three picks in June’s NBA Draft if he opts to leave college. Many NBA executives told ESPN.com that he is the frontrunner to be selected first.

Embiid entered the game averaging 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He told ESPN.com that he has been shocked by his impact thus far this season, even saying that he even thought about redshirting prior to the year.

"I’m not even thinking about it right now," Embiid said. "I’ll make a decision after the season, but I’m definitely considering coming back to school."

"He’s a bright young man and he’s going to weigh his options," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He’s considering coming back and he’s obviously also considering leaving. He can’t make a bad decision."

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What do you guys think about this?  For Top-3 lock and strongly considered as the #1 pick, he’s still thinking about staying in college for another season.

[TyroberParticipant]

 Everyone considers staying during the year, but at the end of the year it’s really hard for a player to turn down guaranteed money. He is having the time of his life right now and you can’t blame him for thinking he should come back next year, but he needs to enter the draft. God forbid he gets injured and cost himself millions, but it happens every year to some players that return to school. Bill Self should force Embiid to enter the draft because only bad things can happen. I am just a firm nonbeliever in top 10 picks returning to school. 

[TyroberParticipant]

 Everyone considers staying during the year, but at the end of the year it’s really hard for a player to turn down guaranteed money. He is having the time of his life right now and you can’t blame him for thinking he should come back next year, but he needs to enter the draft. God forbid he gets injured and cost himself millions, but it happens every year to some players that return to school. Bill Self should force Embiid to enter the draft because only bad things can happen. I am just a firm nonbeliever in top 10 picks returning to school. 

[M-EazyParticipant]

As a Syracuse fan I can tell you that Melo considered staying and guess what? HE LEFT!

[M-EazyParticipant]

As a Syracuse fan I can tell you that Melo considered staying and guess what? HE LEFT!

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

It isn’t just hard to stay, it is stupid. Why stay and play for free when there is an NBA team willing to pay him multiple millions? Why practice against college kids, when you can be practicing with and against NBA players?

But it is always nice to talk about how great college is and staying.

And who knows, may Smart will stay for another year so he can drop a bit further down the draft board.  

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

It isn’t just hard to stay, it is stupid. Why stay and play for free when there is an NBA team willing to pay him multiple millions? Why practice against college kids, when you can be practicing with and against NBA players?

But it is always nice to talk about how great college is and staying.

And who knows, may Smart will stay for another year so he can drop a bit further down the draft board.  

[omphalosParticipant]

 I still think he should stay and develop more consistency. His struggles against players like Cameron Ridley indicate he might be overwhelmed by the size at the next level, and you only get one shot to make a good first impression as a big man in the NBA, you’d hate to see him reduced to being strictly a boards and blocks guy.

[omphalosParticipant]

 I still think he should stay and develop more consistency. His struggles against players like Cameron Ridley indicate he might be overwhelmed by the size at the next level, and you only get one shot to make a good first impression as a big man in the NBA, you’d hate to see him reduced to being strictly a boards and blocks guy.

[mbramilanParticipant]

 He has to leave college, because he is a sure top3 pick. Sure, no doubt. For me is the first pick overall. It’s fantastic, I don’t see a prospect like him from greg oden in 2007

[mbramilanParticipant]

 He has to leave college, because he is a sure top3 pick. Sure, no doubt. For me is the first pick overall. It’s fantastic, I don’t see a prospect like him from greg oden in 2007

[Sewok15Participant]

Anthony Davis was better two years ago.

[mbramilanParticipant]

 AD was incredible, but Embiid is a dominator. And begins to play basketball only 3 years ago

[M-EazyParticipant]

So Anthony Davis wasn’t a dominator too?  Remember dude shot 1-10 from field in national title and still dominated the game…do you realize how amazing that is?

[M-EazyParticipant]

So Anthony Davis wasn’t a dominator too?  Remember dude shot 1-10 from field in national title and still dominated the game…do you realize how amazing that is?

[mbramilanParticipant]

 AD was incredible, but Embiid is a dominator. And begins to play basketball only 3 years ago

[Sewok15Participant]

Anthony Davis was better two years ago.

[runBruceParticipant]

 Please see Mitch Mcgary

[runBruceParticipant]

 Please see Mitch Mcgary

[HitsterParticipant]

The highest rated guys in the draft who I recall staying in recent years were Joakim Noah who was tipped to be a top 3 pick in 2006 and eventually went 9th in 2007. He returned to try and win a repeat title with Florida which he did.

Roy Hibbert had top 10 draft stock in 2007 perhaps higher but returned and fell to 17th in 2008 which has proved to be way too low for someone who is now a double All Star and a likely DOPY leading contender.

Haseem Thabeet was tipped to go in the lottery whenever he declared and went 2nd after 3 years in college, the least said about his NBA career the better and I was a big fan of his during his college years.

Marcus Smart was considered a top 5 lock last year but has returned to college. Where he would have gone in the draft would have been open to question he might have gone as high as two perhaps but would certainly have gone no lower than 9 or 10 where teams took PG’s.

So there is a precedent for highly rated guys to return but none of the above had as much hype as Embiid is getting at the moment. Greg Oden was rumoured to have loved college life in 2006-07 but he still declared and I personally think that Embiid will do the same this summer.

But I would say that Embiid does need to consider things carefully, he has an elite coach in Bill Self and the Jayhawks are a powerhouse team. So he needs to sit down with Coach Self post season and with his family and decide what is the best long term move for him. Long term I define as that which will hopefully give him the best chance to have the most successful NBA career he can have.

[HitsterParticipant]

The highest rated guys in the draft who I recall staying in recent years were Joakim Noah who was tipped to be a top 3 pick in 2006 and eventually went 9th in 2007. He returned to try and win a repeat title with Florida which he did.

Roy Hibbert had top 10 draft stock in 2007 perhaps higher but returned and fell to 17th in 2008 which has proved to be way too low for someone who is now a double All Star and a likely DOPY leading contender.

Haseem Thabeet was tipped to go in the lottery whenever he declared and went 2nd after 3 years in college, the least said about his NBA career the better and I was a big fan of his during his college years.

Marcus Smart was considered a top 5 lock last year but has returned to college. Where he would have gone in the draft would have been open to question he might have gone as high as two perhaps but would certainly have gone no lower than 9 or 10 where teams took PG’s.

So there is a precedent for highly rated guys to return but none of the above had as much hype as Embiid is getting at the moment. Greg Oden was rumoured to have loved college life in 2006-07 but he still declared and I personally think that Embiid will do the same this summer.

But I would say that Embiid does need to consider things carefully, he has an elite coach in Bill Self and the Jayhawks are a powerhouse team. So he needs to sit down with Coach Self post season and with his family and decide what is the best long term move for him. Long term I define as that which will hopefully give him the best chance to have the most successful NBA career he can have.

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