Where do experts see DaRon Holmes going in NBA Draft if he doesn’t return to Dayton?

Underclassmen have until next week to make their decisions

DaRon Holmes II grabbed a low bounce pass with one hand on the fast break in the paint and dunked with a defender on his shoulder last week at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, showcasing the athleticism fans of the Dayton Flyers have seen the last two seasons.

Those same fans now wait for Holmes’ decision on whether to keep his name in consideration for the NBA Draft or to return to school. Even Holmes’ teammates are wondering. Appearing on a UD student-run podcast, Uncensored Athletics, Malachi Smith said he’s gotten questions walking around campus about the decisions his teammates are facing in regards to the draft.

“I really don’t know myself,” Smith said, “so it’s kind of hard just answering those questions. I don’t want to put their business out there either.”

Everyone will know soon enough. Holmes, a 6-foot-10 forward from Goodyear, Ariz., with two years of eligibility remaining, didn’t make a public proclamation when he entered his name in the draft on April 23, but his dad DaRon Holmes Sr. said last month his son would make a public announcement when he makes his next decision.

The draft takes place June 22. Underclassmen have until 11:59 p.m. on May 31 to withdraw their names from consideration from the draft and maintain their college eligibility. Dayton had two other players declare for the draft: Toumani Camara and Mike Sharavjamts, who also entered his name into the transfer portal in order to keep his options open at the college level.

Former Dayton star Obi Toppin withdrew from the draft one day before the deadline in 2019 after his redshirt freshman season. Camara withdrew from the draft 12 days before the deadline in 2022. Neither of those players had much of a chance of getting drafted in those years.

The consensus among NBA Draft experts this spring is Holmes will be a second-round pick, though one writer predicted he’ll go in the first round.

Here’s a roundup of where those experts expect Holmes to be drafted:

For the Win: Bryan Kalbrosky predicted Holmes will go to the Los Angeles Clippers with the 30th overall pick (the last pick of the first round).

USA Today: Cody Taylor predicted the Oklahoma City Thunder would draft Holmes with the 37th pick (seventh in the second round).

NoCeilingsNBA.com: This website predicted the Sacramento Kings will draft Holmes with the No. 38 pick and also had Camara going to the Kings with the No. 54 pick.

NBADraftRoom.com: This website predicted Holmes will go to the Denver Nuggets with the No. 40 pick (10th in the second round).

Yahoo Sports: Krysten Peek predicted Holmes would go to the San Antonio Spurs with the 45th pick (15th in the second round).

ESPN: Jonathan Givony predicted the Oklahoma City Thunder will pick Holmes with the 50th overall selection (20th in the second round).

GlobalScouting: This draft analyst on Twitter predicted Holmes would go to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 51.

The Athletic: Sam Vecenie predicted the Indiana Pacers will draft Holmes with the 55th overall pick, the fourth-to-last pick of the draft.

Bleacher Report: Jonathan Wasserman’s latest mock draft, released Sunday, did not include Holmes or Camara.

Holmes and Camara both appeared at the NBA Draft Combine last week, playing two games each.

Holmes and Camara played against each other in their first appearances. Camara’s team won 122-95. Holmes scored four points on 2-of-2 shooting in 11 minutes, 40 seconds. He had one rebound, a blocked shot and four turnovers. Camara had nine points in 20:06. He made 2 of 2 3-pointers and 3 of 4 free throws. He had one rebound, two steals and one turnover.

Camara scored 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting in his second appearance. He made 1 of 4 3-pointers. He grabbed six rebounds and played 21 minutes.

In his second game, Holmes played 10:58, tied for the lowest number of minutes on his team. He scored five points on 2-of-4 shooting. He made his only 3-point attempt. He grabbed one rebound.

Holmes has also had a number of workouts with NBA teams. He shared a photo on Instagram on Sunday, indicating a workout with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have the Nos. 3, 23 and 43 picks in the draft. They were scheduled to hold their first post-lottery draft workouts on Monday, according to Sean Highkin, of the Rose Garden Report.

Holmes also worked out with the Brooklyn Nets last week, according to NetsKingdom.net.

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