Jared Sullinger News

The NBA Draft early entrant list was locked in last week and while most players expected to be surefire lottery picks threw their names into the mix, one notable omission, Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State, decided to return to school and in the process helped stir up the perennial debate around this time of year.

Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn put the Michigan forward's six-game tournament numbers up next to that of former Ohio State star Jared Sullinger and former UCLA big Kevin Love and found a theme.

Thad Matta's team got hot late in the season, winning the Big Ten tournament and reaching the Elite Eight.

HOUSTON Archbishop Alter High guard and Ohio Player of the Year Jaaron Simmons became the newest member of the University of Houston Men's Basketball team when he inked a National Letter of Intent with the Cougars on Thursday afternoon.

Every April, my hoophead friends call or text with basically the same message: "He's not ready." Or, "If he doesn't stay in school one more year, that kid is just flat-out stupid." These are also the same unpaid talent evaluators, by the way, who thought Hasheem Thabeet was going to be the next Dikembe Mutombo.