Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Soon enough, Colorado Buffaloes Andre Roberson will make his well anticipated decision and we will know whether or not if he will return for his senior year or declare for the 2013 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons for both sides.
Pros
If Roberson goes to the NBA, he will get drafted. He is way too talented for this not to happen. Averaging a double-double on the season definitely has NBA teams looking at him. Not to mention, he is 6’7”.
By making the jump to the next level, Roberson will be making a ton of money for playing the game of basketball. That right there is pretty appealing in itself. Roberson already has a relatively high draft stock and if he stays for his senior season, there is a chance that it will go down, especially since there are a bunch of one-and-done players entering college basketball next season. However, that is were the pros stop.
Cons
Roberson could still use some work on his offensive game. If he scores the basketball more, his stock will instantly go up. He averaged 10.9 points per game on the season and he is talented enough to get that number to 15 a game or even higher. If he makes the dash to the NBA too soon, there is a chance that he did not develop enough at the college level and will not be successful in the NBA. That is the biggest con, but that is situation that no one can predict.
Colorado is on the rise in college basketball, and if Roberson returns, the Buffaloes could easily be one of the best teams in the country next season. Without Roberson, they should still be good, but his rebounding and defensive abilities are so important to the team.
Whether the case, Roberson is going to be in the NBA at some point. Ten years down the line, it does not matter where you were drafted, but how you have performed in the NBA. If Roberson thinks he is ready then he should declare. If he doesn’t, then he has the chance to stay one more season with Colorado and develop even further.
In these types of situations, it really is never a bad choice to stay another season if a player does not feel ready.
With that, though, I think Roberson should declare. He is a great player and he has the game to compete in the NBA no matter which team drafts him. A player can only get so much better in college and his numbers this season would suggest that he has hit that point.
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