Only 2 of 15 All-Americans are returning to school next season
Of the 15 players named to the Associated Press All-American teams for the 2016-17 season, only two will be returning for another campaign in college.
Purdue star Caleb Swanigan announced Wednesday that he's remaining in the NBA draft, leaving just Notre Dame's Bonzie Colson and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ as returnees for next season.
| Player | School | Team | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lonzo Ball | UCLA | 1st | NBA Draft |
| Josh Hart | Villanova | 1st | Graduated |
| Justin Jackson | North Carolina | 1st | NBA Draft |
| Frank Mason III | Kansas | 1st | Graduated |
| Caleb Swanigan | Purdue | 1st | NBA Draft |
| Dillon Brooks | Oregon | 2nd | NBA Draft |
| Luke Kennard | Duke | 2nd | NBA Draft |
| Malik Monk | Kentucky | 2nd | NBA Draft |
| Johnathan Motley | Baylor | 2nd | NBA Draft |
| Nigel Williams-Goss | Gonzaga | 2nd | NBA Draft |
| Bonzie Colson | Notre Dame | 3rd | Returning to school |
| Markelle Fultz | Washington | 3rd | NBA Draft |
| Ethan Happ | Wisconsin | 3rd | Returning to school |
| Josh Jackson | Kansas | 3rd | NBA Draft |
| Lauri Markkanen | Arizona | 3rd | NBA Draft |
Villanova's Josh Hart and Kansas' Frank Mason III both exhausted their college eligibility following last season, while the other 11 players decided to head to the professional ranks early.
Using DraftExpress' mock draft, all the players who opted to leave early are expected to be picked, with Nigel Williams-Goss slated as the last selection at 58th overall.
While only two returnees sounds like a low figure, it actually represents an increase from 2016, when only Duke's Grayson Allen returned to school after receiving All-American honors the previous season.