Pac-12 hit hard by early NBA defections

With the threat of a looming NBA lockout, college players around the country are deciding to return to school for another year. Except in the Pac-12. Perhaps no other conference has been hit as hard as the Pac-12 by players choosing to turn pro this year.

The biggest name to declare from the league is Arizona forward Derrick Williams. The talented sophomore is projected to be a top-5 pick in the draft, potentially reaching as high as number one overall. Williams, the2010-2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year, averaged 19.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this past season for a Wildcats team that reached the Elite Eight.

Washington was also hit hard by early draft defections. Junior point guard Isaiah Thomas declared for the draft with the intention of hiring an agent. Thomas, the conference Player of the Year runner-up, averaged 16.8 points and 6.0 assists per game.  His decision means rising-junior Abdul Gaddy will likely take over full-time point guard duties for the Huskies, but the arrival of incoming freshman Tony Wroten Jr. should help UW make up for losing Thomas’ scoring.

Also getting hit hard was USC with Nikola Vucevic’s decision to turn to the NBA ranks. Seen as one of the premiere bigs in the conference and in the country as a whole, the loss of Vucevic is potentially devastating for the Trojans. Averaging 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, Vucevic was a near guarantee for a double-double on any given day, leaving a gaping hole in the Trojans' inside game and scoring prowess. 

But perhaps no schools were hit harder by draft decisions than UCLA and Washington State. The Bruins guard depth has taken a significant hit with the announcement that both Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee will head to the draft and hire agents. Between the two, UCLA is losing 25.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. The losses mean UCLA will likely rely heavily on its loaded inside game next season.

As for Washington State, the Cougars took a big hit on its interior game when junior forward DeAngelo Casto decided to declare for the draft and announced his intention to hire an agent. Then, to make matters worse, star shooting guard Klay Thompson, the Pac-10’s leading scorer, announced Monday he too will declare for the draft- though Thompson will not hire an agent at this time. The loss of their two stars costs the Cougars 23.6 points and 12 rebounds per game. That means WSU will have to replace nearly one-third of its scoring offense next season.

There is still one shoe that has yet to drop: Colorado’s Alec Burks. Rated as the top shooting guard eligible for the draft by ESPN.com’s Chad Ford, Burks would obviously be a huge loss for the Buffaloes as they transition to the Pac-12.

With seven, and potentially eight, players leaving the Pac-12 early for the NBA, it is clear the conference will have a new look on the hardwood next year.