5 potential first-round NBA draft prospects who decided to withdraw and return to school

May 29 was the official early entrant withdrawal deadline for the 2024 NBA Draft. Prospects who wish to maintain college eligibility are required to bow out before midnight. In total, 93 names were pulled at the buzzer.

You can read the full list from NBA PR.

The 2024 draft is notoriously weak across the board. There is a stark lack of separation between prospects at the top and there isn't much depth either. That means there weren't really any players with airtight first-round grades who dipped out. It also means there were several potential first-round picks — either present or future — who opted for another season in college.

NIL has completely changed the thought process for prospects at this time of year. Development is no longer the primary motivating factor. There are financial reasons to return to school, especially at blue-chip programs. It's worth mentioning the transfer portal, too. It's not just a binary proposition of going pro or returning to school. Prospects can change schools, which can lead to more minutes, more money, or a brighter spotlight.

Here are the noteworthy prospects who dipped out of the 2024 draft.

5. Nique Clifford, Colorado State

Nique Clifford will return to Colorado State for his fifth and final collegiate season. The senior spent three campaigns with cross-state Colorado before joining the Rams for 2023-24. The result was a more robust role and a chance for Clifford to shine in front of NBA scouts. He's still flying under the radar a bit — perhaps the reason for his return to school — but Clifford should have your full attention.

He was one of the best role player bets on the board, standing 6-foot-6 with long arms, explosive vertical athleticism, and a sharp basketball IQ. He's not a prolific self-creator, but Clifford was used all over the floor in various actions for the Rams last season. He can hit spot-up 3s, attack on straight-line drives, run the occasional pick-and-roll, or work backdoor cuts.

Clifford hit 37.6 percent of his 3s, averaged 7.6 rebounds on the wing, and dished out 3.0 assists (1.8 turnovers) in his first go-around with Colorado State. All very positive indicators. Generally, it's important to pinpoint bankable, immediately translatable skills in the NBA Draft. Especially with older prospects. Clifford is going to rebound well for his position, make quick decisions in the flow of the offense, and space the floor. That should be enough to stick around.

It's rare to find a wing who processes the game as quickly at Clifford. He can rifle passes on a rope without a moment's hesitation. He's great at catching the ball with momentum toward the basket, drawing the extra defender, and locating his open teammate. When he gets a lane to the rim, Clifford can elevate for a slam or power through contact. He could rise up boards with a big fifth season.

4. Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest

When the season ended, Hunter Sallis appeared to have a very real path to the first round. He was undeniably productive for Wake Forest — 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists on .487/.405/.783 splits — and he checks a ton of boxes that front offices covet nowadays. There is a robust market for 6-foot-4 guards with plus-six wingspans, real ball-handling juice, and a bankable 3-point shot.

Sallis spent two years at Gonzaga before transferring to Winston-Salem. He was an afterthought in the Zags' rotation, a complete non-shooter without much of a prayer to reach the NBA. The Demon Deacons unlocked a completely new player. Next season will be Sallis' opportunity to prove that his production was not a fluke. He needs to prove that he is a legitimate No. 1 option at the college level with a skill set that can adapt to complementary duties in the NBA.

He doesn't shoot prolifically off the dribble, but Sallis' catch-and-shoot 3s roll smootly off the hand. He's a mesmerizing scorer around the basket, deploying constant gear shifts and advanced footwork to carve out space on drives to the rim. His touch on floaters and layups should assuage any lingering concerns about the jumper. Especially when factoring in his high free-throw percentage.

Unfortunately, Sallis' stock tanked around the Combine. He didn't perform well in front of scouts and his position on draft boards began to slip. It's generally silly to change evaluations based on open-gym workouts or a stray scrimmage, but all the same, Sallis clearly felt the need to return to school and cement his draft status as a senior. Can't blame him.

3. Payton Sandfort, Iowa

Payton Sandfort has steadily increased his role with each successive season at Iowa. Now he returns for a senior season, which should provide him with a grand stage on which to build his draft stock. The appeal is pretty straightforward: at 6-foot-6, Sandfort is one of the best shooters in college basketball. That fact alone will keep him comfortably on the NBA radar.

He's probably not a first-round prospect right now, but if Sandfort can make the most of expanded opportunities for the Hawkeyes next season, he can absolutely rocket up 2025 draft boards. Tall shooters are all the rage. Sandfort shows great self-awareness on the court, never overstepping his limitations or icing out teammates. He reads the floor quickly, passes at a high level, and demands constant defensive attention with his off-ball movement.

NBA teams are going to read Sandfort as a day-one role player. He's going to hit 3s flying off screens or working out of DHO actions. He has a high release to combat tight contests and the downhill speed to punish closeouts. He won't create much off the dribble and his defense is limited, but Sandfort will carve out a role at the next level if he's dragging his man through screens, punishing sleepy off-ball defenders, and converting on a healthy volume of 3-point attempts.

Size, I.Q., and shooting is a potent combination for any prospect. Sandfort's selfless attitude and fiery disposition won't hurt either.

2. Mark Sears and Alabama are looking to get over the hump

Mark Sears led Alabama to the Final Four, a milestone achievement for the program under head coach Nate Oats. We know the Crimson Tide as a football juggernaut, but the basketball program is quickly building up its bona fides. Sears will no doubt return to a healthy NIL package, but he's also returning to lead one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the SEC. Bama is going to turn heads and potentially mount another deep run.

A strong senior campaign should help Sears cement his status on draft boards. There is a natural reluctance to invest in 5-foot-11 point guards, but Sears is an outlier offensive talent with a ton of projectable NBA traits. From the nutty pull-up shooting to his visionary passing and absurd creativity around the rim, Sears is going to find ways to exploit defenses at the next level.

He's not a great athlete by NBA standards, but Sears operates with a tremendous sense of tempo. He keeps defenders off-balance and punishes open space with a deadly pull-up jumper. Sears has the strength to absorb contact around the basket, as well as the touch to finesse layups over outstretched rim protectors. He will face a new challenge against NBA athletes, but Sears' skill package is remarkably well-rounded. Enough to overlook the small stature.

There's a decent chance Alabama finishes next season near the top of the NCAA rankings. If Sears can put together another dominant statistical campaign — the sort that gets SEC Player of the Year consideration, or even Naismith Player of the Year consideration — he's going to sneak up 2025 draft boards, even with height and age working against him.

1. Alex Karaban, UConn

Of all the 2024 withdrawals, Alex Karaban probably qualifies as the most surprising. His return to UConn hardly qualifies as a shock, though, when one considers the circumstances. He is the only returning starter for the two-time reigning champs. Not only does Karaban get the chance to pursue history in Storrs; he gets to occupy an elevated role in Dan Hurley's system, with the freedom to showcase new layers of his skill set.

There isn't a better college-to-NBA pipeline than UConn right now. Cam Spencer arrived from the transfer portal and immediately earned a spot on most draft boards. Tristen Newton should get drafted, too. Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle are top-10 picks. Maybe top-five picks. Karaban won't ascend to those heights in a far more talented 2025 draft, but he can easily sneak into the first-round conversation with a dominant season and another deep tournament run.

On the surface, Karaban's skill set is fairly streamlined. He's a 6-foot-7 forward who bombs spot-up 3s, cuts to the rim, and works within the flow of the offense. Karaban doesn't have the agility or burst to create advantages with his handle or punish mismatches. He is strictly a complementary piece, drilling pick-and-pop 3s, attentively filling the lane in transition, and firing quick passes on the short roll.

Now, we get to see if Karaban can unveil new talents in a more featured role. Maybe it's more of the same at a higher volume. Even then, NBA front offices ought to buy Karaban's winning impact and bankable combination of size and shooting. He's in a great position to contribute prolifically for college basketball's top program. If that isn't enough reason to return to school, a chance to three-peat sure is.