Introducing the first annual 2009 ALL-UNDRAFTED TEAM

Presented by The 4^th Season

The purpose of the 2009 ALL-UNDRAFTED TEAM is to recognize and celebrate the careers of the best college basketball players from the 2009 senior class who were not drafted by NBA teams.  These exceptional players, having developed and matured within collegiate programs over a full 4 years, are pro basketball ready.  And if they don't ultimately make it to the NBA, there will be plenty of takers in Europe.

Every year, the senior class in men's college basketball is loaded with an abundance of exceptional talent.  The early defections to the NBA by underclassmen have not changed that fact.  And the 2008-09 season was certainly no exception.  In fact, 45% of the starters in this year's Final Four were seniors.

The mind-blower is the number of these senior stars who don't get a call on Draft Day.  Let's look at the math.  There are 2 rounds in the NBA Draft.  A total of 60 picks.  Compare that to Major League Baseball, whose teams select over 1,500 players over 50 rounds in its draft.  There just aren't many spots available in the NBA.

Making the hill even steeper, out of the 60 NBA picks each year, an increasing share is going to underclassmen and international players.  Out of the top 40 draft picks in 1992, 90% were seniors.  In 2009, it was down to 27.5%.  The 21 seniors who were drafted represent less than 2% of the seniors who played at the Division-1 level in 2008-09.

What does this mean?  It means that more than ever before, European teams and the NBA's D-League have a chance to sign some amazing hoops talent out of American universities.

Another consequence is that these players don't often get the recognition that they deserve once the draft has come and gone.  So we decided that these senior stars - players who demonstrated the commitment, loyalty, and willingness to put in the hard work that it takes to complete 4 years of college basketball - and who performed at a very high level on the court - deserve some high praise.  And that's why we asked Steve Lavin, one of the most knowledgeable college basketball analysts around, to help us create the 2009 ALL-UNDRAFTED team.  There will be a new ALL-UNDRAFTED TEAM selected and announced every year, right after the completion of the NBA Draft.

We believe that most of these players are good enough to play in the NBA, and some of them will eventually get there, even if they have to take a less conventional path.  These talented players have proven that they're willing to put in the work, so don't bet against them.  Either way, we expect all of them to have long careers in professional basketball.   The4thSeason.com, which we will launch in November 2009, will include the following features: