Column: Vonleh should come back

I don’t know if Noah Vonleh’s coming back.

Your guess is as good as mine as to whether Vonleh will leave IU or go to the NBA.

The question I can attempt to answer, though — should Vonleh go pro?

No.

I know this sounds crazy. I know it sounds crazy to leave millions of dollars on the table. I know it sounds crazy to gamble on the future and come back to college for another year when the threat of injury is always looming.

I know all the reasons why I’m crazy. But hear me out — I think Vonleh would be better served if he came back to IU for his sophomore year. I’m not saying this for selfish reasons of wanting to watch him play or wanting IU to be better. I genuinely think it’s what is best for Vonleh.

Whenever I think of Vonleh, the name Blake Griffin comes to mind. Griffin had a spectacular freshman year at Oklahoma. He averaged 15 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes per game. He was named first team All-Big 12.

He was slated to be a top lottery pick in the NBA draft. So he went pro, right?

No. Griffin came back for his sophomore season and lit the world on fire. He averaged 23 points, 14 rebounds in 33 minutes. He was the No. 1 pick in the draft the next year.

Griffin had the chance to be a top 10 lottery pick, but he opted to come back for his sophomore season. He improved, and he was ultimately better served for coming back to school.

Vonleh will make a lot of money someday in the NBA. But the IU program has proven it can develop players — just Google the name Oladipo. So if Vonleh has the work ethic — and it sure seems like it — he will get better. He’ll improve his footwork in the post and develop that dangerous David West/Lamarcus Aldridge/Chris Bosh 18-footer.

Vonleh will get better. And all the top players ahead of him will leave. Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Dante Exum, Marcus Smart — these guys will probably go pro.

With all those guys gone, suddenly the race for the No. 1 pick in 2015 becomes wide open. Sure, the freshman crop coming in next year will be in contention for the No. 1 pick, but Vonleh, as long he continues to get better, will be the frontrunner.

And here’s the kicker — Vonleh turns 19 in August. That’s right, he’s been tearing up the Big Ten as an 18-year-old. So even if he decides to come back and enter the draft next year, he would still be a teenager.

If Vonleh comes back, the development of these young freshmen plus the addition of 5-star guard James Blackmon Jr. will give IU a legit shot of making a deep run come March.

Being on a good team and getting national exposure is also a plus for Vonleh’s future draft stock.

If Vonleh decides to leave IU, I can’t blame him. If I were in his situation — don’t worry, IU fans, I’m coming back for my senior season, it turns out there’s not a big demand for 5-foot-9 slow guys in the NBA — I might even leave and take the millions.
Whatever he chooses, I wish him the best. It was a pleasure to watch him this year.

But Vonleh should come back. Not for Crean. Not for his teammates. Not for Hoosier Nation.

But for himself.

ehoopfer@indiana.edu
@EvanHoopfer