Good basketball player but maybe should stay another year and work on his game.

He hasn't hired an agent yet, so he can still go back to college. I agree with you about staying in college. I hope he doesn't join the long list of players who should have stayed.

-- Modified on 4/15/2010 9:45:18 AM

Because if he stays, he could raise his draft stock and draft position. Plus he gets another chance for the Final Four and the championship game.

Seriously, what more is this guy gonna do at Butler?  To stay playing at he college level means he would most likely have unfinished business (i.e. National Championship) to complete.  However, the likelihood of Butler making it back to that game game is pretty slim.  Besides, he already got that "shot", and it rimmed out at the buzzer ... big deal.

Obviously this guy has aspirations of playing in the NBA, if he was to "work on his game" as suggested, the best scenario for that in college would be to transfer out of the Horizon League because that's not the place to do that "work."  Considering the other negatives of transferring (loose a year of eligibility and egg on the face of Brad Stevens/the Butler "program"), it is quite clear that this is the best decision for Mr. Hayward.

Ohhhh .... and by the way, and with no disrespect to the NCAA, the best basketball in played in the NBA.

Well, he could work on his game for another year at Butler.  He's not ready for the NBA yet. This is a guy who shot 32% in the two Final Four games including 2-11 against Duke.

... EVERYONE'S game needs work.  Ask every NBA player, and they will say the exact same thing.  Teh only way to developis go against the best of the best - not the best of the Horizon League.

The real question is whether another year at Butler will significantly increase his current draft stock.  (While I do not dispute his poor shooting in the last two games, this is not the ultimate way to rate his current value.)

If he was to stay, what must he do to increase his NBA draft stock?  Shoot 60% from the field? Win a National Championship?  Anything short of the Final Four for him (as it relates to his draft potenial), would seem to hurt his stock.  We haven't even apporached the reality of injuries that must be factored into this type of decision.  Look at Butler (he was senior this year) from WVU, his stock must have taken a huge drop with the blown ACL.

Let's not be so naive to forget that the NBA is filled with guys who can't shoot and who can't defend; so that type of argument can not hold any water.

He must test the NBA draft waters this year, no question about it.

made the mistake of either jumping after 1 or 2 years, or coming out of high school. There's still a place in basketball, whether it be college, pro,  or high school, for sound fundamentals. College helps refine that part of the game. Look at Tim Duncan, otherwise known as "The Big Fundamental." Four years at Wake Forest didn't seem to hurt his  pro career.

... however, the Horizon League is a far cry from the ACC.  I am quite sure the level of competition was siginificantly greater for Duncan.  Let's say Duncan blew his knee out his senior year - I am sure he would have been kicking himself a bit (with his good leg, of course).

I'm not arguing for every marginal NBA prospect/college player fleeing for the NBA.  All I am trying to point out is that the best scenario for Hayward at this particualr moment in time is to test the NBA draft waters.

Furthermore, in no way am I down playing the importance of sound fundementals.  I honestly believe that Hayward is solid in that area.  And that is the primary reason he is not blindly throwing his hat into the draft.  Everyone is fooling themselves if they think he has not reached his ceiling at Butler; he wants to find out if the NBA wants what he's got.

where he stands; and the way to do that is to get the advice from NBA people, not fans, relatives, or others. Nothing wrong with that.

I agree that his draft value is as high as it's going to get. I'm just saying that he's not ready for the NBA but that hasn't stopped teams from drafting not-yet-ready prospects before.