Take a look at the early entry list. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2006/news/story?id=2412474 Updated: May 4, 2006, 11:56 PM ET A rundown of the players leaving school early to enter the NBA draft. Feeling a draft PLAYER/POSITION YEAR SCHOOL Akbar Abdul-Ahad, G Junior Idaho State Arron Afflalo, G -- Story Sophomore UCLA LaMarcus Aldridge, C -- Story Sophomore Texas Morris Almond, G Junior Rice Renaldo Balkman, F -- Story Junior South Carolina Larry Blair, G Junior Liberty Will Blalock, G Junior Iowa State Jahsha Bluntt, G Junior Delaware State Josh Boone, F -- Story Sophomore UConn Ronnie Brewer, G-F -- Story Junior Arkansas Bobby Brown, G Junior Cal-State Fullerton Shannon Brown, G -- Story Junior Michigan State Derek Burditt, C Sophomore Blinn College (Texas) LeRoy Dawson, G/F Junior Emporia State Travis DeGroot, F Junior Delta State Guillermo Diaz, G Junior Miami (FL) Cem Dinc, C Freshman Indiana Quincy Douby, G Junior Rutgers Mike Efevberha, G Junior Cal-State Northridge Carl Elliott, G Junior George Washington Jordan Farmar, G -- Story Sophomore UCLA Nick Fazekas, F -- Story Junior Nevada Thomas Gardner, G Junior Missouri Rudy Gay, F -- Story Sophomore UConn Reggie George, C Sophomore Robert Morris College (Ill.) Daniel Gibson, G -- Story Sophomore Texas Aaron Gray, C -- Story Junior Pittsburgh LeShawn Hammett, G Junior St. Francis (Pa.) Brandon Heath, G Junior San Diego State Tedric Hill, C Sophomore Gulf Coast CC (Fla.) Clarence Holloway, C Post-Graduate IMG Academy (Fla.) Ekene Ibekwe, F Junior Maryland Donald Jeffes, F/C Sophomore Roxbury CC (Mass.) Alexander Johnson, F -- Story Junior Florida State David Johnson, F Sophomore Clinton JC (S.C.) Trey Johnson, G Junior Jackson State Coby Karl, G Junior Boise State Mark Konecny, C Junior Lambuth University (Tenn.) Kyle Lowry, G -- Story Sophomore Villanova Aleks Maric, C Sophomore Nebraska Japhet McNeil, G Junior East Carolina Paul Millsap, F -- Story Junior Louisiana Tech Matt Mitchell, G Junior Southern Adam Morrison, F -- Story Junior Gonzaga Patrick O'Bryant, C -- Story Sophomore Bradley Evan Patterson, F Junior Texas Wesleyan Danilo Pinnock, G Junior George Washington Leon Powe, F -- Story Sophomore California Richard Roby, G Sophomore Colorado Rajon Rondo, G -- Story Sophomore Kentucky Blake Schilb, G Junior Loyola Chicago Mustafa Shakur, G -- Story Junior Arizona Cedric Simmons, F/C Sophomore NC State Marcus Slaughter, F -- Story Junior San Diego State Curtis Stinson, G Junior Iowa State Tyrus Thomas, F -- Story Freshman Louisiana State P.J. Tucker, F -- Story Junior Texas Jontae Vinson, G Junior Cal-State Los Angeles Ian Vouyoukas, C -- Story Junior St. Louis Darius Washington Jr., G Sophomore Memphis Albert Weber, G Sophomore Connors State Marcus Williams, G -- Story Junior UConn Shawne Williams, F Freshman Memphis International players to declare early: Andriy Agafonov, Khimik (Ukraine) Nemanja Aleksandrov, FMP Zeleznik (Serb. & Mont.) Pape-Philippe Amagou, Le Mans (France) Andrea Bargnani, Benetton Treviso (Italy) Yannick Bokolo, Le Mans (France) Carlos Cedeno, Guaiqueries (Venezuela) Tadija Dragicevic, Crvena Zvezda (Serb. & Mont.) Lior Eliyahu, Hapoel Galil Elyon (Israel) Rudy Fernandez, DKV Joventut (Spain) Kyrylo Fesenko, Mariupol (Ukraine) Rafael Hettsheimeier, Akasvayu Vic (Spain) Marko Lekic, Atlas (Serbia-Montenegro) Damir Markota, Cibona (Croatia) Mickael Mokongo, Chalon (France) Brad Newley, Townsville (Australia) Oleksiy Pecherov, Paris Basket Racing (France) Hrvoje Peric, Split (Croatia) Kosta Perovic, Partizan (Serbia & Mont.) Giorgos Printezis, Olympiacos (Greece) Milovan Rakovic, Atlas (Serbia-Montenegro) Aleksandar Rindin, Gala Baku (Azerbaijan) Sergio Rodriguez, Adecco Estudiantes (Spain) Dusan Sakota, Panathinaikos (Greece) Renaldas Seibutis, Olympiacos (Greece) Saer Sene, Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium) Sidiki Sidibe, Levallois (France) Sun Yue, Beijing Aoshen Olympians (ABA) Tiago Splitter, Tau Ceramica (Spain) Ali Traore, Roanne (France) Ejike Ugboaja, Union Bank Lagos (Nigeria)
They're both seniors. So they're automatically in this draft. If I'm the Rockets, I would get Sun Yue in for a workout. I'm not in the whole "Rockets should draft these Chinese players because they are Chinese" camp. I just know that I've seen Sun play and he's a baller. He's just got fabulous basketball instincts on both ends of the court. He's 6'9" and long, with some PG skills. There's no doubt in my mind that he can be a Shane Battier/Boris Diaw type all-purpose SF in this league. The Rox should at least get him in for a workout to see if he's worth a 2nd round pick. Personally, I think he can be a steal at that spot.
I'm happy Tiago Splitter declared. He might be worth the number 8, or he might push someone else down to number 8.
