Go Joe Bruin
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UCLA Basketball: Bruins in the (mock) 2018 NBA Draft

By Mike Regalado

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: The draft board is seen displaying picks 1 through 30 after the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: The draft board is seen displaying picks 1 through 30 after the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Go Joe Bruin looks at the a few mock NBA Draft lists to see which UCLA Basketball players have a chance to hear their name called next month.

With the NBA Combine over, the next step for several pro hopefuls is the NBA Draft itself. A few UCLA basketball players have put their name in the draft, but who will actually go?

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The Bruins have veterans Aaron Holiday, Thomas Welsh, Gyorgy Goloman and Ikenna Okwarabizie already leaving the program, but three freshmen will be “testing the waters” as Jaylen Hands, Kris WIlkes and Cody Riley are interested in the draft.

Unfotruately, according to most expert’s mock drafts, Holiday is the only one that is projected to be taken in next month’s NBA Draft.

The surprise here is Sports Illustrated, though it’s not really a surprise. Their most recent mock is the only one that is post-NBA Combine and Holiday seems to have impressed them enough to project this big of a jump.

Unfortunately, he is the only Bruin listed, though a separate SI article referenced Kris Wilkes’ Draft stock as “falling” as he looked “out of place” and suggested returning to UCLA.

That might happen for the other two Bruins, Hands and Riley. Hands also participated in the combine and though he did not necessarily do anything to hurt his stock, he did well, but not well enough to get the nod for a draft position by SI. But this is consistent with what most draft analysts are projecting, or not projecting for Hands.

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Riley does not seem to be on anyone’s radar as he was not invited to the combine, though his season-long suspension for shoplifting in China is probably why. With no whisper of his name in any mock draft, it seems apparent that he should return to UCLA.