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2022 NBA Draft

Draft Decisions: Ndefo, Cook, Hutcherson, J. Brown

May 30th, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

Senior forward KC Ndefo, one of the standout players on the St. Peter’s squad that made an unexpected Elite Eight run this spring, will be withdrawing from the 2022 NBA draft to use his last year of NCAA eligibility, a source tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).

However, Ndefo won’t be returning to St. Peter’s, instead opting to transfer to Seton Hall for his final college season, says Rothstein. Ndefo isn’t a big-time scorer, averaging just 10.5 PPG last season, but he fills up the box score on defense — he has registered an impressive 2.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game in his last three college seasons.

Here are a few more updates on the early entrants for the NBA draft:

  • Tulane sophomore guard Jalen Cook is withdrawing from the 2022 draft and returning to school for at least one more season, tweets Rothstein. Cook had a breakout year after transferring from LSU, putting up 18.0 PPG on .429/.391/.795 shooting in 24 games (33.8 MPG) for the Green Wave in 2021/22.
  • Despite appearing in just four games for Illinois due to health issues after transferring from Wesleyan, junior guard Austin Hutcherson has decided to remain in the draft pool and go pro, he tells Rothstein (Twitter link).
  • Louisiana junior forward Jordan Brown is expected to withdraw from the draft and spend at least one more season in college, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Brown was the Ragin’ Cajuns’ leading scorer (15.3 PPG) and rebounder (8.6 RPG) last season.
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Draft Notes: Jones, Welch, George

May 29th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rutgers guard Jaden Jones will remain in the 2022 NBA draft, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Jones’ college numbers have been fairly modest. The 6’8″ Dallas native averaged 3.6 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 17 contests for Rutgers during the 2021/22 college season.

Take a look at our full list of early draft entrants here.

Other early entrants have made decisions on their draft status prior to the NCAA’s June 1 withdrawal deadline:

  • Former St. Bonaventure guard Dominick Welch has decided to withdraw from NBA draft consideration this year and will transfer to Alabama in the fall, per Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). During the 2021/22 season, the 6’5″ fourth-year wing averaged 12.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.3 SPG across 33 games for St. Bonaventure, all starts.
  • BYU forward Gideon George plans to withdraw from the 2022 draft pool and will return to college for the 2022/23 NCAA season, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. After two seasons at New Mexico Junior College, the 6’6″ guard transferred to BYU ahead of the 2020/21 season. Last year, he averaged 8.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 33 games, starting in 18.
  • In case you missed it, Arkansas sophomore big man Jaylin Williams, a 2022 All-SEC honoree, will remain in the 2022 draft pool. Williams is ranked as the No. 42 pick on ESPN’s big board.
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Draft Notes: J. Williams, Ingram, Baugh, Grandison

May 29th, 2022 at 9:21am CST by Arthur Hill

Arkansas forward/center Jaylin Williams has decided to remain in the draft, making his announcement on Twitter. The sophomore opted to test the draft waters in early April, but didn’t sign with an agent to give himself the option of returning to school.

“From a very young age my dream was always to play in the NBA,” Williams wrote. “That said, after careful consideration and many talks with my family, I have decided to forgo my remaining NCAA eligibility and pursue my lifetime goal of competing in the NBA.”

Williams was an All-SEC selection after averaging 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in 37 games. Williams participated in this month’s Draft Combine in Chicago, and performed so well on the first day that he sat out the second day of scrimmages, according to Bob Holt of Whole Hog Sports. Holt adds that Williams has been conducting workouts for NBA teams, including the Hawks and Hornets.

Projected as a second-round pick, Williams is 42nd on ESPN’s big board, which ranks him as the sixth-best center prospect in the draft.

“Jaylin had a really good two years, and all of us are very happy for him and wish him the best of luck,” Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman said in a text message to Holt.

A few more early entrants have reached their draft decisions ahead of the June 1 deadline to maintain their college eligibility if they withdraw:

  • Pac 12 Freshman of the Year Harrison Ingram will take his name out of the draft and return to Stanford for another season, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. A 6’7″ forward, Ingram averaged 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds in his first collegiate season. He is ranked 73rd by ESPN and would have been a marginal prospect if he had remained in the draft.
  • Damion Baugh will return to TCU for another season, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). The junior guard was the Horned Frogs’ second-leading scorer this year at 10.6 PPG after playing his first two seasons at Memphis.
  • Jacob Grandison of Illinois will also pull out of the draft and will return to college for a fifth season, tweets Rothstein. The 24-year-old guard averaged 9.6 PPG this year.
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Draft Notes: Hollatz, Baldwin Jr., Guerrier, Slawson, Bothwell, Akot

May 28th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

German guard Justus Hollatz declared himself eligible for the draft but the international prospect is signing a two-year contract with the Spanish club Broegan Lugo, according to a Eurohoops.net story. Hollatz played last season with the Hamburg Towers of the EuroCup League.

We have more draft-related decisions:

  • Potential first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. is staying in the draft and believes he’ll move up draft boards in the coming weeks, he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “I still think I’m one of those top guys in the class, and I think the circumstances I had to deal with this year were a little bit unique,’ said Baldwin, who has an upcoming workout with the Thunder. “I’m looking to go into workouts and show them what I look like when I’m healthy and fully able to go.” Baldwin, ranked No. 34 on ESPN’s Best Available list, played only 11 games for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee due to an ankle injury.
  • Oregon’s Quincy Guerrier is pulling out of the draft and returning to school, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. The Canadian-born forward averaged 10.1 PPG and 5.3 RPG last season.
  • Furman early entrants Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell are withdrawing from the draft and will play for the Paladins again next season, according to Jeff Goodman (Twitter links). They averaged a combined 30.2 PPG last season.
  • Emmanuel Akot, who is in the transfer portal, will be playing college ball again next season rather than staying in the draft, Rothstein tweets. He averaged 12.4 PPG for Boise State last season.
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Draft Notes: J. Williams, Sasser, LaRavia, Houstan, Minott, More

May 27th, 2022 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Santa Clara wing Jalen Williams was perhaps the standout of last week’s draft combine in Chicago, while Houston guard Marcus Sasser looked like the best player at the G League Elite Camp, John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic write as part of their analysis of the combine.

Hollinger and Vecenie suggest that Williams’ stock has “exploded into the stratosphere” as a result of his performance in Chicago and that he looks like a safe bet to be a first-round pick. As for Sasser, he got “nearly unanimous praise” from scouts, who believe he has a chance to start his rookie season on a standard NBA contract, rather than a two-way deal.

The Athletic’s duo shares several more combine-related tidbits in their full story, including identifying Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia as a prospect who is drawing legitimate interest from contending teams in the last 10 picks of the first round.

Hollinger and Vecenie also say that chatter about Michigan forward Caleb Houstan having received a promise continues to circulate among league insiders. Those insiders have speculated that Oklahoma City at No. 30 could be the team eyeing Houstan, given the Thunder‘s history of shutting down their targets well ahead of draft night.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Josh Minott, the No. 48 player on ESPN’s 2022 big board, will be keeping his name in the NBA draft, according to his uncle (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports). The freshman forward played fewer than 500 total minutes in his first and only college season at Memphis in 2021/22.
  • Wyoming guard Hunter Maldonado tells Rothstein (Twitter link) that he’ll withdraw from the draft and use his final year of NCAA eligibility. Maldonado had a big senior year in 2021/22, averaging 18.5 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 5.7 RPG and making the All-Mountain West Conference first team.
  • George Washington junior guard James Bishop will withdraw from the draft and return to school for at least one more year, tweets Rothstein. Bishop has been the Colonials’ go-to scorer since transferring for his sophomore season, averaging 17.6 PPG in 47 games over the last two years.
  • Senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel will also withdraw from the draft as he transfers from SMU to Nebraska, tweets Rothstein.
  • Former Louisiana senior center Theo Akwuba has withdrawn from the draft and Oklahoma State junior guard Avery Anderson III and Tennessee junior guard Santiago Vescovi are expected to do the same, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (all Twitter links). Goodman notes that Akwuba will be transferring to Ole Miss for his final college season.
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Draft Notes: Ivey, Murray, Sharpe, Daniels, Roddy, Minott, Segu

May 26th, 2022 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero are the consensus top three prospects in this year’s draft, it’s rare that the top three picks in a draft end up being the three players who enjoy the best pro careers, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz.

The ESPN duo identifies Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe and Dyson Daniels as the other prospects who are the best bets to emerge as top-three players from the 2022 draft class, breaking down the strengths of that quartet and considering which lottery teams might benefit the most from their talents.

We have plenty of draft-related news to pass along:

  • Colorado State’s David Roddy has worked out for the Magic, Nuggets and Rockets, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. The power forward is ranked No. 47 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
  • Memphis forward Josh Minott has workouts lined up with the Magic, Raptors, Hawks, Spurs, Bulls and Hornets, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. Minott is ranked No. 48 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
  • Buffalo guard Ronaldo Segu will continue to pursue professional opportunities and forgo his remaining year of college eligibility, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. He averaged 14.9 PPG and 5.1 APG last season.
  • Nathan Mensah is withdrawing from the draft and returning to San Diego State, the school announced in a press release. Mensah is the reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
  • Josh Mballa is pulling out of the draft and transferring from Buffalo to Ole Miss, Jeff Goodman tweets. Mballa averaged 13.0 PPG and 8.6 RPG last season.
  • Texas Tech guard Adonis Arms has workouts scheduled with the Nuggets, Pistons, Pelicans, Magic and Jazz, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets.
  • Northern Colorado’s Bodie Hume will remain in the draft, Rothstein adds in another tweet. The senior forward averaged 11.0 PPG and 6.2 RPG last season.
  • Potential top-10 selection Johnny Davis wants to model his game after Devin Booker. Another potential top-10 pick, Daniels, believes he’s a combination of Tyrese Haliburton offensively and Alex Caruso or Lonzo Ball defensively. Numerous draft prospects told The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov which NBA players they most closely resemble or strive to be.
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Draft Decisions: Flagler, Murphy, Muszynski, Aimaq, More

May 25th, 2022 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Baylor junior guard Adam Flagler is withdrawing from the 2022 NBA draft, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Flagler tested the waters and received feedback on his draft stock before deciding to return to school.

“I heard exactly what I needed to be able to show more of what the NBA is looking for, so that this time next year, I will be preparing to get drafted,” Flagler said, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN (Twitter link).

Flagler technically has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, but it sounds like he’s planning to rejoin the Bears for just one more season.

Here are several more updates on early entrants‘ draft decisions ahead of the NCAA’s June 1 withdrawal deadline:

  • A pair of Belmont seniors, Grayson Murphy and Nick Muszynski, intend to pursue professional careers and won’t be returning to school to use their last year of college eligibility next season, tweets Rothstein.
  • Big man Fardaws Aimaq, who is coming off his junior year at Utah Valley, is withdrawing from the draft and transferring to Texas Tech, tweets Jeremy Woo of SI.com. Aimaq ranked third in the country with 27 double-doubles in 2021/22, Woo notes.
  • The following players are also withdrawing from the draft, according to various reports:
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Draft Decisions: J. Williams, Braun, J. Walker, Scheierman

May 25th, 2022 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

Early entrants Jalen Williams (Santa Clara), Christian Braun (Kansas), and Jabari Walker (Colorado) are all keeping their names in the 2022 NBA draft, notes Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). The three prospects have signed with BDA Sports and WME Sports for representation, rendering them ineligible to return to college.

Williams, a junior guard, is a potential first-round pick, currently ranking 24th overall on ESPN’s big board. When he first entered the draft, he was at No. 48 on ESPN’s list, so he has clearly improved his stock in the last couple months.

Braun, also a junior guard, isn’t far behind Williams at No. 30, while sophomore forward Walker is at No. 74 and isn’t a lock to be drafted.

Here are a few more updates on early entrants deciding to either remain in the draft pool or return to school:

  • After declaring for the draft following his junior season, forward Baylor Scheierman has decided to withdraw and return to school for at least one more year, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Scheierman, the No. 86 prospect on ESPN’s board, is transferring from South Dakota State to Creighton.
  • As expected, after securing a lucrative NIL deal to play for Miami, Nijel Pack has opted to withdraw from the NBA draft, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). The guard spent his first two college seasons at Kansas State.
  • Nevada junior guard Grant Sherfield will withdraw from the draft and is transferring to Oklahoma to play for the Sooners next season, tweets Goodman. Sherfield made the All-MWC team in each of the last two years after transferring from Wichita State in 2020.
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Draft Notes: Lofton Jr., Bynum, Brooks, Delaire

May 23rd, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Louisiana Tech forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. has decided to remain in the draft, he revealed on his Twitter page. Lofton, who was named to the All-Conference USA first team, averaged 16.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG in 33 games last season as a sophomore. Lofton is not currently projected to be drafted, but turned some heads at the G League Elite Camp.

We have more draft decisions:

  • Providence’s Jared Bynum is withdrawing his name and returning to the Friars next season, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. The junior guard averaged 12.2 PPG and 4.0 APG last season.
  • Kentucky forward Keion Brooks is removing his name from consideration, Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets. Brooks, who is in the transfer portal, started 33 games for the Wildcats and averaged 10.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG.
  • San Diego forward Jaiden Delaire, a Stanford transfer, is also withdrawing from the draft, Rothstein adds in another tweet. He averaged 10.1 PPG and 4.0 RPG while starting 26 of 32 games for the Cardinal last season.
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Hawks Notes: Bogdanovic, Draft Workout, Trade Tiers

May 23rd, 2022 at 10:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s lingering knee issue will likely prevent the Hawks wing from participating with the Serbian National Team in the EuroBasket tournament during September, according to MozzartSport.com (hat tip to Eurohoops.net). Bogdanovic, who was limited to 63 regular-season games,  played through the pain in the first round of the playoffs, and MozzartSport’s report suggests offseason surgery is a possibility.

We have more on the Hawks:

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