Michigan basketball stars projected as top NBA picks
· Yahoo Sports
Michigan basketball had hoped it could have maybe limited its attrition after the national championship, with Yaxel Lendeborg running out of eligibility, but with two young star players who could have returned for another year in Ann Arbor. However, with big success on the court, the likelihood of retaining center Aday Mara and forward Morez Johnson Jr. started becoming slimmer and slimmer.
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And it became slimmer yet when both thrived in the NBA draft combine in Chicago earlier this month.
Now the question is just how high each of the three might go in the NBA draft later in June. There's a solid chance that all three could be lottery picks, and CBS Sports thinks it'll be close, but one will fall just short of going in the top 13 picks.
According to CBS Sports' latest mock draft, Mara will be the first off the board, with Lendeborg going right behind him. But Johnson, it has going one pick beyond the lottery at No. 14 overall.
- Rd. 1, No. 9 - C Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder (via trade with Dallas Mavericks)
- Rd. 1, No. 11 - F Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors
- Rd. 1, No. 14 - F Morez Johnson Jr., Charlotte Hornets
Even if Johnson falls out of the lottery, it's a big move for him, considering he gambled on himself and that he wouldn't be able to do much to improve his draft stock with another year. He had been considered a lean to return until his initial declaration for the draft, and subsequent combine performance, saw him rise sharply on NBA big boards and GM draft boards as a result.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan basketball stars projected as NBA picks