Joel Embiid’s announcement impacts college hoops and NBA landscapes

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas center Joel Embiid smiles along side head basketball coach Bill Self as he talks with media members during a news conference on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. Embiid announced his intention to enter the 2014 NBA Draft. (AP PHOTO/Nick Krug/Lawrence Journal-World)

Hey, did you hear Kansas University freshman center Joel Embiid is entering the NBA Draft?

You might have seen something about that in the past 24 hours here at JoelEmbiid.com KUsports.com.

Playing it ‘safe’: Embiid chooses NBA’s millions

Column: Joel Embiid top 5? Puh-lease

Self: Embiid would have been focus

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2014/apr/09/35890/

The 7-footer’s announcement wasn’t just a big deal in Lawrence, though. His decision to leave KU will impact the landscape of college basketball next season and the shape of some NBA franchise for years to come.

• The folks who keep up with NBA prospects love Embiid.

Look no farther than Embiid’s profile page at DraftExpress.com, where you can find his stats, measurements and more. And the details on the 7-footer and predictions on his future in the NBA will keep piling up in the weeks leading up to the June 26 draft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-dtrmh0nM

• ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reported missing the last six games of KU’s season likely won’t impact Embiid’s draft status.

Multiple NBA executives believe Embiid
still has a chance to go first
overall, but it’s dependent on the
medical testing that comes back at the
Chicago predraft camp and also when he
visits teams.

Goodman says Duke’s Jabari Parker, if he indeed declares for the draft, should join Embiid and his KU teammate, Andrew Wiggins, as the draft’s top-three picks.

• Seth Davis, of CBS and SI.com fame, still thinks Kansas will enter the 2014-15 season as a top-10 team. Number six to be exact — despite the exits of Wiggins and Embiid.

Ahead of KU, Davis has: No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 Arizona, No. 4 Villanova and No. 5 North Carolina.

• Embiid’s teammates and coaches took to social media to congratulate the young big man on his declaration.

http://twitter.com/LandenLucas33/status/453972224295182338

http://twitter.com/evan_manning5/status/454072737279930369

Assistant coach Jerrance Howard posted his message on Instagram: “Congratulations to @joel_embiid for entering the 2014 NBA draft. Him and @22wiggins are two of the nicest guys I’ve ever coached. I know nobody will miss them more than Jay Jay. Rock Chalk!”

http://instagram.com/p/mlMlVvAHbh/

Meanwhile, Selden went ahead and made his prediction for where his teammates will be selected in the NBA Draft.

Landen Lucas gave his fellow big man a hard time about one of the legends surrounding his days back in Cameroon.

http://twitter.com/LandenLucas33/status/453976949870718976

Plus, to the surprise of no one, not long after Embiid made his decision official, incoming KU freshman big man Cliff Alexander began recruiting Myles Turner.