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Finally, a handful decided to stick around. Harrison Barnes of North Carolina, Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, Terrence Jones of Kentucky and Perry Jones III of Baylor passed on the NBA last spring despite being projected as first-round picks after their freshman seasons. Barnes and Sullinger were practically guaranteed lottery picks.

They decided their games needed maturation, but the college game stands to gain, too. Barnes, Sullinger and Kentucky's Jones should help their teams vie for an NCAA title; Baylor's Jones puts the Bears closer to that elite group.

Among them, only Kentucky's Jones declared for the NBA draft last spring. When he decided in May to return to school, the looming lockout was a reason. With the first two weeks of the NBA season already canceled, he says he knows he made the right decision.

"I didn't want to miss games," he says.

No need to worry about that now.

One thing is for certain: The college basketball season will open on time with the first men's games scheduled Nov. 7.

A look at four who returned:

North Carolina's Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina's 6-8 do-everything forward, says he returned for his sophomore season to make sure he was ready for the NBA.

For part of last season, there were doubts.

"He started playing well when his mind-set changed, when he stopped caring so much about what people thought," point guard Kendall Marshall says. "We got knocked out of the rankings and people stopped looking at us and we could play freely."

Barnes led a turnaround after early struggles for him and most of his UNC teammates. In his last 10 games, he averaged 21.5 points. He and 7-0 forward Tyler Zeller took the Tar Heels to the NCAA regional finals, where Kentucky stopped them and earned a Final Four berth.

UNC should be favored to win the NCAA championship in April, and Barnes, from Ames, Iowa, will be a candidate for national player of the year honors. "That's something I've always wanted," he says. "Your name hangs on the rafters with blue felt. It's the best thing you can have besides a national championship banner and a degree from UNC."

Baylor's Perry Jones III

Perry Jones III of Baylor averaged a relatively modest 13.9 points last season, yet NBA scouts remained enamored with him because of his skill level, says Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.

"Many (scouts) feel he has the potential to develop into an all-star caliber power forward," Givony adds. "They are drafting for him what he could develop into in the next two to three years, not necessarily what he is now, which isn't always all that impressive."

It didn't help Jones that last season he was being investigated by the NCAA for receiving improper benefits before arriving at Baylor. The association announced in March that Jones must serve a five-game suspension to start this season.

Once that's done, the 6-11 forward from Duncanville, Texas, hopes to be a model of consistency. "I need to be able to stay focused on an entire game and dominate the entire game," he says.

He has been named preseason Big 12 player of the year, and All-America honors are within his reach.

"He should be the first pick in the (2012) draft," rival coach Bill Self of Kansas says. "He's an unbelievable player."

Kentucky's Terrence Jones

Terrence Jones has a vision of what his first NBA season will look like: He will be a top-10 draft pick and join other newcomers for summer rookie league before settling in his new city.

Jones declared for the NBA draft last spring after helping Kentucky reach the Final Four but returned to school when his dream scenario didn't materialize. His stock had dropped to the middle of the first round and a lockout loomed.

"I don't want to go to the NBA when they're having problems," he says. "I felt I still had a lot to work on with my game and coming back (to college) wouldn't hurt me at all."

Now the 6-9 forward from Portland, Ore., envisions Kentucky winning the NCAA championship. The Wildcats have three double-digit scorers back in Jones (15.7), Doron Lamb (12.3) and Darius Miller (10.9), and coach John Calipari brings in another highly regarded freshman class.

Jones, who led in rebounding (8.8) last season, is in for spirited workouts this season. Freshmen forwards Anthony Davis of Chicago and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Somerdale, N.J. could be NBA lottery picks in 2012.

Ohio State's Jared Sullinger

Ohio State's Jared Sullinger decision to hold off on the NBA and return to school was least surprising among last season's potential first-rounders. Family members said all along there was a strong possibility the 6-9 forward from Columbus would stick around. His mom, Barbara, doesn't want him growing up too fast. She shouldn't worry.

"Jared's one of the goofier ones on the team," teammate Aaron Craft says. "He gets the most publicity. We're in his hometown. He's a fun-loving kid. He may be a player of the year candidate but at heart he's a 19-year-old kid who likes to have fun."

Sullinger averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds last season and is ready to show he can play away from the basket.

"There were a lot of times (last season) I was tired throughout the game and the first thing that came to mind was try to get a person out of the way or try to draw a foul to get rest at the free-throw line," he says. "I use to throw my body around a lot. This year it's going to be a little different. I'm going to score in a variety of ways."

source : http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/story/2011-10-19/Harrison-Barnes-Jared-Sullinger-Terrance-Jones/50831858/1