Most highly-touted college basketball prospects have a clear vision: Move into a dorm that they’ll call home for only 10-12 months and establish themselves as a top-tier NBA draft prospect.
With the international landscape and other options stateside, including G League Ignite and Overtime Elite, others never even step foot on a college campus.
Since the NBA instituted the “one-and-done” rule in 2005, collective thought has encouraged skilled youngsters to bolt to the next level as soon as possible.
However, this year’s crop of emerging NBA rookie talent defies that.
Sure, the first few picks Wednesday — expected to be Frenchmen Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher as well as UConn tandem Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan — will presumably hear their names called having played no more than two years after high school.
But other headliners, including 22-year-old Providence guard Devin Carter, 23-year-old Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht and 22-year-old Purdue center Zach Edey, spent what felt like eons in the college ranks.
In a sport where teenagers move to high-profile cities and quickly square off with 30-year-old veterans, these older prospects believe their greater experience has been formative.
“I think it helped me develop every single step of the way,” said Knecht, who played at Northeastern Junior College, Northern Colorado and Tennessee. “Every school helped me develop and make me NBA-ready. Being ready to be an impact-type guy right when I get called up.”
Part of what comes with playing more than 130 college games is additional exposure to different defensive strategies, game flows and higher-stakes atmospheres.
“With my experience, I feel like I bring a lot of knowledge to the game,” said 23-year-old Colorado wing Tristan da Silva. “That’s a big advantage, I feel like, being around this game for a long time, or a longer time than other guys that are going to be in their first year.”
In addition to facing a less steep learning curve, almost every player who spent three or four years in college also touted significant mental growth.
“It just helped me be more mature,” Carter said. “Not letting small things rattle me. So now it’s like, just block everything out.”
No NBA player 22 or older has been selected in the top six since Buddy Hield in 2016, but it was possible that changed Wednesday, with Knecht frequently predicted to go to the Hornets at No. 6.
There was also a strong chance this first round featured at least six draftees 22 or older after that number had been no more than four from 2019-23.
In an era defined by name, image and likeness (NIL), some players have foregone an early exit in order to return to school and accrue more cash.
Several prospects believe this year’s draft could be a changing of the guard, a model shifting away from prioritizing raw talent.
“I think times are changing now with the draft,” Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II said. “You don’t have to be a one-and-done. I think guys are realizing now.”
This year’s bunch of elder statesmen feel their collective time in college is not only setting a new trend, but also can offer distinct benefits at the next level.
“We all feel the same type of way,” Knecht said. “We think we were developed, and we’re ready to go out. … Be ready to be on the court right away and showcase what we can do.”
