Which early-entry players made NBA opening day rosters?

We often assess early-entry decisions made by underclassmen on NBA draft night once we see which players were selected and which weren’t.

In reality, the better time to pass judgment might be on the opening day of the NBA season after teams have made their final roster cuts.

Of the 45 players who entered the draft with college eligibility remaining last spring, 27 made an NBA roster. Among the most high-profile early-entry players who will begin their pro careers overseas or in the D-League are North Carolina’s J.P. Tokoto, Arizona’s Brandon Ashley and Kentucky’s Andrew Harrison and Dakari Johnson.

Three undrafted early-entry players showed enough promise in training camp to survive final cuts and make NBA rosters. Ex-Kansas forward Cliff Alexander latched on with the Portland Trail Blazers, former Kentucky guard Aaron Harrison stuck with the Charlotte Hornets and former UNLV forward Christian Wood will get a chance with the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s worth noting that not every player who failed to make an NBA roster made a bad decision leaving school early.

Trevor Lacey, for example, was practical in leaving NC State last spring even though he went undrafted and will play in Italy this year. Lacey is already 24 years old, young by real-life standards but not for a basketball prospect. Starring for the Wolfpack as a fifth-year senior would have meant forfeiting another year of earning potential, something that is a lot tougher to do as a 24-year-old than it is at 19 or 20.

Below is a list of the 45 players who entered the NBA draft with college eligibility remaining and whether they made an NBA roster or not. Note that a handful were cut too recently by NBA teams to have revealed their future plans.

Cliff Alexander, F, Kansas — Portland Trail Blazers (Undrafted)
Justin Anderson, F, Virginia — Dallas Mavericks (21st overall pick)
Brandon Ashley, F, Arizona — Cut by the Mavericks (Undrafted)
Devin Booker, G, Kentucky — Phoenix Suns (13th overall pick)
Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky — Sacramento Kings (6th overall pick)
Sam Dekker, F, Wisconsin — Houston Rockets (18th overall pick)
Michael Frazier II, G, Florida — Cut by the Lakers (Undrafted)
Olivier Hanlan, G, Boston College — Playing in Lithuania (42nd overall pick)
Montrezl Harrell, F, Louisville — Houston Rockets (32nd overall pick)
Aaron Harrison, G, Kentucky — Charlotte Hornets (Undrafted)
Andrew Harrison, G, Kentucky — D-League (44th overall pick)
Tyler Harvey, G, Eastern Washington — D-League (51st overall pick)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F, Arizona — Portland Trail Blazers (23rd overall pick)
R.J. Hunter, G, Georgia State — Boston Celtics (28th overall pick)
Vince Hunter, F, UTEP — Cut by the Kings (Undrafted)
Charles Jackson, F, Tennessee Tech — Playing in New Zealand (Undrafted)
Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky — D-League (48th overall pick)
Stanley Johnson, G, Arizona — Detroit Pistons (8th overall pick)
Tyus Jones, G, Duke — Minnesota Timberwolves (24th overall pick)
Trevor Lacey, G, North Carolina State — Playing in Italy (Undrafted)
Kevon Looney, F, UCLA — Golden State Warriors (30th overall pick)
Trey Lyles, F, Kentucky — Utah Jazz (12th overall pick)
Jarell Martin, F, LSU — Memphis Grizzlies (25th overall pick)
Chris McCullough, F, Syracuse — Brooklyn Nets (29th overall pick)
Jordan Mickey, F, LSU — Boston Celtics (33rd overall pick)
Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke — Philadelphia 76ers (3rd overall pick)
Kelly Oubre, F, Kansas — Washington Wizards (15th overall pick)
Ashton Pankey, F, Manhattan — Playing in Israel (Undrafted)
Cameron Payne, G, Murray State — Oklahoma City Thunder (14th overall pick)
Terran Petteway, G, Nebraska — Cut by the Hawks, Pacers (Undrafted)
Bobby Portis, F, Arkansas — Chicago Bulls (22nd overall pick)
Michael Qualls, G, Arkansas — Cut by the Thunder (Undrafted)
Terry Rozier, G, Louisville — Boston Celtics (16th overall pick)
D’Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State — Los Angeles Lakers (2nd overall pick)
Jherrod Stiggers, G, Houston — Playing in Greece (Undrafted)
Deonta Stocks, G, West Georgia — N/A (Undrafted)
Aaron Thomas, G, Florida State — Playing in Germany (Undrafted)
J.P. Tokoto, F, North Carolina — Cut Monday by the 76ers (58th overall pick)
Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky — Minnesota Timberwolves (1st overall pick)
Myles Turner, C, Texas — Indiana Pacers (11th overall pick)
Robert Upshaw, C, Washington — Cut by the Lakers (Undrafted)
Rashad Vaughn, G, UNLV — Milwaukee Bucks (17th overall pick)
Chris Walker, F, Florida — Cut by the Rockets (Undrafted)
Justise Winslow, G, Duke — Miami Heat (10th overall pick)
Christian Wood, F, UNLV — Philadelphia 76ers (Undrafted)