APRIL 22ND: Austin confirms that he’s entering the draft on his Twitter account, linking to the full announcement on Instagram.
APRIL 15TH: 8:11pm: Via his own Twitter account, Austin has denied that he’s made an official decision and says he’s still weighing his options.
7:53pm: Baylor big man Isaiah Austin will enter this year’s NBA Draft, sources tell Jason King of the Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The 7-footer is listed at No. 43 on Jonathan Givony’s Top 100 Prospects list and No. 59 on Chad Ford’s Top 100 rankings respectively. King adds that Austin would have left for the NBA last year if not for injury. Austin’s DraftExpress profile has him listed as 7’1″, 220-pound center, while Ford’s ESPN page has him described as a 7’0″, 215-pound power forward.
As a freshman, Austin averaged 13.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 29.9 MPG. As a sophomore, his blocks per game average rose to 3.1, though his rebounding and scoring numbers dropped to 11.2 and 5.5 in 28.0 MPG. Once considered a potential lottery pick, the Baylor product’s inconsistency and lack of strength have drastically affected his standing, according to Ford. On the other hand, one scout tells SNY.tv’s Adam Zagoria that Austin projects as a “late first-round pick” who helped his draft stock at the end of the 2013/14 season and in the tournament (Twitter link).
Last month, Austin helped Baylor reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, posting 14.0 PPG on 53.8% shooting, 5.3 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 27.6 MPG through three games.