Arizona basketball: Kobi Simmons shows up in first round of NBA mock draft

Will the freshman indeed be a first round pick?

With how talented the 2016-17 iteration of the Arizona Wildcats is, there are bound to be plenty of changes and players leaving early at the end of the year.

At the top of the list are Allonzo Trier and Lauri Markkanen, who seem likely to leave college for the NBA Draft at the end of this season.

Most people have Kobi Simmons at third on that list, and if the latest Sports Illustrated mock draft is even somewhat true, Simmons would probably be gone.

SI’s Andrew Sharp has Simmons as the 28th overall pick, going to the Portland Trail Blazers.

His quick blurb on Simmons reads:

Simmons could go much higher if he came back and hit the draft in a year that wasn't full of point guards, but if he leaves now, his upside's probably worth a first rounder regardless.

Sharp also has the Blazers picking Markkanen, so say hello to the Portland Wildcats.

Trier did not show up on SI’s mock draft, but according to CBS’ Howard Megdal, he would go 12th to the Charlotte Hornets.

Funny enough, NBA Draft Net actually has Trier going in that 28th slot to Portland, and does not have Simmons getting drafted at all.

Even if some Arizona players decide to test the draft waters and go to the NBA Combine, they will still have the chance to return to school thanks to the new early entry deadlines. This will allow them to get better feedback than what is currently available, and will help them make a better choice for their future than the old system.

The NBA mock drafts are all over the place this year, so it could be incredibly interesting to see how it all plays out, and how many early entry guys don’t hear their names called that night.

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