2012 NBA Draft: Should Zeller, Watford, Teague stay or go? - Indianapolis Star

Don't expect any news today regarding Marquis Teague, Cody Zeller or Christian Watford and the 2012 NBA draft.

A new NCAA rule gives underclassmen until today to withdraw their names if they had previously entered the NBA draft. The firm deadline, however, put in place by the NBA, gives underclassmen until April 29 to make themselves eligible for the draft.

Most experts expect Teague, a freshman from Pike, to leave Kentucky, and Zeller to return to Indiana for his sophomore season. It is uncertain whether Watford will return for his senior year.

An NBA scout, who is not allowed to speak on the record about undeclared players, said he believes Watford would benefit from another year in school.

"I think going back to school would help him improve as a player and improve his draft stock," he said. "He still needs to define what his position will ultimately be.''

It's difficult to find an NBA mock draft that has Watford getting selected. ESPN's Chad Ford, who ranks the top 100 college players, doesn't have Watford on his list. Sixty players get drafted.

NBADraft.net has Teague going 27th overall to Golden State in its latest mock draft. Draftexpress.com has Teague as the 18th pick to Dallas. Neither site has Zeller or Watford being drafted.

Ford, however, lists Zeller No. 6 and Teague at No. 28.

Last week, Teague's father, Shawn Teague, said the family hadn't made a decision.

"We'll look at it from every angle we can and decide what his best interests will be,'' Shawn Teague said. "Right now, I don't know. We haven't really had a chance to process it yet.''

Ernest Watford, Christian's father, expressed similar thoughts the day of IU's NCAA tournament game against Kentucky. He said at the time he thought his son would at least look into the possibilities.

"I would imagine so," Ernest Watford said in late March. "We're going to look at it and evaluate it and most of all we're going to do what is best for Christian. We're going to sit down and talk about those things as a family."

Call Star reporter Terry Hutchens at (317) 444-6469. Follow him at twitter.com/indystar_hutch. Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep contributed to this story.