thestar.com

Thirty-five underclassmen and high-schoolers have declared for this year's draft. That number will change before the draft as players become discouraged by their prospects and return to school. Twelve of the 39 underclassmen who declared before the lottery last year wound up returning to school.

"A number of underclassmen, in my opinion, however talented they may be, have entered prematurely," Atlanta Hawks general manager Pete Babcock said. "Their potential is strong. You can look at them and say within a couple of years this player has a chance to be pretty good. A number of players in this draft, including underclassmen, have the potential to be very good NBA players. But they're all better served, for the most part, playing additional years at the collegiate level so they can mature physically and mentally.

"I don't think it's an extremely strong draft," [Chris Wallace] said. "I don't know who is a franchise player out of it. You can't have a real blockbuster draft without franchise players. I think you'll see a lottery again dominated by underclassmen. But there are guys in this draft (who can be stars), and it's our job to find them."