Here we go with Round 2 of the ‘Hawks in the NBA Stock Watch, a blog that tracks the movement — up or down — of the current Jayhawks who have NBA futures.

Since we last were with you, the play of a couple of Jayhawks has drastically changed where they stand with the NBA scouts. Some have moved up, others have moved down and still others have played their way into the NBA picture.

No sense pounding the ball waiting for something to happen, though.

Let’s get right into it.

COLE ALDRICH: JR., CENTER, 6-11, 245 pounds
Stock Assessment: After a stellar sophomore season at Kansas, Aldrich surprised some by returning to school for the 2009-10 season. The Bloomington, Minn., almost certainly would have been a lottery pick in last year’s draft and he entered his junior season as a sure-fire lottery pick and a preseason All-American.

Average Mock Draft Position: 6th (up from 7th in January)

Current High: 5th (MyNBADraft.com)
Current Low: 8th (DraftSite.com)
Overall Movement: + On The Rise + Aldrich has shaken off early-season physical and mental ailments that caused him to slip and appears to be back on his way up the NBA draft boards out there. Among the five sites used for this blog, his average position improved one spot and he was listed in the Top 8 in all five. Aldrich has returned to the form he finished his sophomore season with of late and has been playing like the beast that the Jayhawks need him to be.

XAVIER HENRY: FR., GUARD/FORWARD, 6-6, 220 pounds
Stock Assessment: Xavier came to Kansas as the school’s first legitimate threat to be a one-and-done player. He arrived on campus with an NBA-ready body and had a deadly shooting touch and natural knack for scoring to go with it. As with any player, it’s likely that another year or even two in college would help polish his all-around game, but there’s no doubt that NBA scouts are drooling over his potential already.

Average Mock Draft Position: 12th (down from 11th in January)
Current High: 7th (DraftSite.com)
Current Low: 22nd (NBADraft.net)
Overall Movement: — Down — Although Xavier’s positioning has only slipped one spot (from an average position of 11th to 12th), his overall stock is down. The freshman who lit it up during the non-conference portion of the schedule has struggled with his outside shot, continues to be hesistant with his drive to the bucket and even has seen his minutes decline of late. He’s still got the physical gifts that would make him a first-round pick in the June draft but he’s no longer a lock to be in the lottery, should he decide to go pro.

SHERRON COLLINS: SR., POINT GUARD, 5-11, 205 pounds
Stock Assessment: For all the talk of Collins leaving Kansas early last season, saying goodbye really would not have made much sense. Last year’s draft was ultra-deep for point guards and Collins, primarily because of his lack of size, had not wowed the NBA enough to guarantee himself a first-round selection. With that in mind, and with visions of a second national championship in his head, Collins returned to school for his senior season, where he entered the year as a fringe first-rounder.

Average Mock Draft Position: 32nd (same as in January)
Current High: 26th (DraftExpress.com)
Current Low: 39th (NBADraft.net)
Overall Movement: • Holding Steady • For the Jayhawks, Collins’ stock has never been higher. He continues to be the go-to guy in the clutch and continues to do whatever it takes to find a way for his team to win. That’s great for his college team. But it hasn’t done much to improve his NBA stock. Collins continues to flirt with the line between first- and second-rounder but is still trending upward because he has shown great toughness, the ability to run a team, the ability to get others involved and a knack for winning.

TYSHAWN TAYLOR: SOPH., GUARD, 6-3, 180 pounds
Stock Assessment: Of the Jayhawks with the NBA on their radar, Taylor entered the season as the long shot of the bunch. There’s no doubt that someday Taylor will probably don an NBA uniform. But unless he were to turn in a monster sophomore season, it probably would not be in 2010.

Average Mock Draft Position: Incomplete (only listed on 1 of 5 boards)
Current High: 96th (DraftSite.com)
Current Low: Not Listed (HoopsHype.com, NBADraft.net, DraftExpress.com and MyNBADraft.net)
Overall Movement: — Down — Just like Taylor’s minutes at KU, his draft stock has gone down in the past few weeks. Once a name that showed up on a handful of boards, Taylor’s is now only found on the quirky DraftSite.com, which actually lists four rounds worth of players, despite the NBA Draft only being two rounds long. Taylor still has the skill set that makes him a likely NBA player in the future, but it appears that his off-the-court issues have dealt a blow to his stock for the time being.

MARCUS MORRIS: SOPH., FORWARD, 6-8, 225 pounds
Stock Assessment: Morris entered the season on the heels of a pretty decent freshman season but with no real designs on making a name for himself with the NBA brass for at least another season. He spent the first half of the season playing at an up-and-down pace but has taken off lately and has become one of KU’s most consistent performers night-in and night-out.

Average Mock Draft Position: Incomplete (not listed on any boards)
Current High: N/A
Current Low: Not Listed (all five boards)

Overall Movement: + On The Rise + Although his name still has not shown up on any of the mock draft boards, you can’t help but say that Morris’ stock is on the rise. He’s been one of the Jayhawks’ best players during the last month, flashing great ability both inside and out and it now seems like only a matter of time before the NBA scouts begin to take note. He’ll likely be a small forward in the NBA, so being stuck primarily in the post during college certainly won’t speed up his path to the pros. But, for the first time in his career, it now appears safe to say that Morris, someday, will be an NBA player.

Draft sites used for the player positioning portion of this blog include: NBADraft.net, DraftExpress.com, HoopsHype.com, DraftSite.com and MyNBADraft.com.