Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

2023 NBA Draft

Connecticut Star Jordan Hawkins Declaring For Draft

April 7th, 2023 at 2:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

2023 NCAA champion Jordan Hawkins, a sophomore guard for Connecticut, is declaring for the NBA draft, as he informed Malika Andrews of ESPN during today’s broadcast of NBA Today (Twitter video link).

Hawkins is projected by ESPN’s big board to be the No. 15 pick in the impending 2023 draft.

“Hearing my name called on draft night will be a blessing,” Hawkins told Andrews, (hat tip to Jonathan Givony of ESPN). “I worked so hard for this, me and my dad, we’ve been through so much.

“When I first stepped on campus in Storrs, I was a little kid, just 160 pounds,” Hawkins continued. “I didn’t know the college game. Coach [Dan] Hurley threw me into the fire. He guided me through it. It means the world for me having him, having this opportunity. He told me sophomore year, I need to step my game up, make a name for myself. It’s amazing what we did together as a team.”

The 6’5″ swingman was an All-Big East First Teamer this season. He logged averages of 16.2 PPG with .409/.445/.887 shooting splits. He also chipped in 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 0.7 SPG. During Connecticut’s title game against San Diego State, Hawkins scored 16 points.

As Givony notes, Hawkins is considered an elite shooter, and improved as a ball-handler and defender this season, two skills that scouts are hoping he continues to develop at the next level. He went 21-of-42 from deep during the Huskies’ six-game tourney run.

“Shooting is my super power,” Hawkins said. “There are a lot of ball-dominant guys in the NBA who can create their own [shot]. I can be a knockdown shooter and play a significant role right away. As time moves on, I can develop and become an even bigger piece of the rotation, because I know I’m more than just a shooter. There’s more to my game, but I have to prove it to people.”

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Kansas’ Jalen Wilson Among Draft’s Latest Early Entrants

April 6th, 2023 at 12:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Kansas forward Jalen Wilson has declared for the 2023 NBA draft, he announced on social media (Twitter video link). Wilson didn’t say anything about maintaining his eligibility, so we’re assuming he plans to stay in the draft and hire an agent.

Wilson was a redshirt junior, so he technically had two years of college eligibility left. However, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year is a projected second-round pick, currently No. 51 on ESPN’s big board, and clearly he likes his chances of making it to the NBA.

Wilson, who helped the Jayhawks win a national championship in 2022, led the team in scoring (20.1 PPG) and rebounding (8.3 RPG) during his standout junior season, in which he was also named first-team All-American. Kansas was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but fell in the second round to Arkansas.

The 22-year-old joins teammate Gradey Dick — a potential lottery pick — as Jayhawks who have declared for the draft.

Here are a few more college players who are entering the draft:

  • Oklahoma guard Grant Sherfield, who had previous stops at Wichita State and Nevada, has declared for the draft (Instagram link). As with Wilson, Sherfield didn’t say anything about maintaining his eligibility (he had one year left due to COVID), so we’re assuming he’s going pro. As a senior for the Sooners, Sherfield averaged 15.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists on .403/.394/.863 shooting in 32 games (33.7 minutes per contest).
  • UC-Davis guard Elijah Pepper, who earned All-Big West honors each of the past three seasons, is entering his name in the draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Twitter. Pepper had a productive senior season for the Aggies, averaging 22.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals on .449/.322/.816 shooting in 31 games (35.5 minutes).
  • Tulane’s Sion James, a junior guard, is also testing the draft waters while maintaining his eligibility, he announced via Instagram. James put up 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals on .483/.317/.710 shooting in 31 games (37.1 minutes) for the Green Wave in 2022/23.
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Notes: Murrell, Dingle, Cross, Davison, Mocks, Edey

April 5th, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Ole Miss shooting guard Matthew Murrell is declaring for the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining NCAA eligibility, he announced on Instagram.

Murrell is coming off a junior season in which he averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 30 games (34.4 MPG). His shooting percentages dropped off badly in 2022/23, as he made just 36.5% of his attempts from the field and 30.4% of his threes. However, he was a more reliable marksman as a sophomore (.427 FG%, .386 3PT%) and he bumped his free throw percentage to 84.3% as a junior.

Murrell currently ranks as the No. 76 prospect on ESPN’s big board, making him a borderline candidate to be drafted.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • Penn junior guard Jordan Dingle is testing the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, sources tell Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Dingle’s 23.4 points per game ranked second in the nation, behind only Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy (28.2 PPG).
  • Tulane senior forward Kevin Cross is declaring for the draft while preserving his NCAA eligibility, he announced on Instagram. A strong passer, Cross averaged 4.2 assists per game last season to go along with 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds.
  • Carlin Davison, a 6’6″ forward who played for the Taranaki Airs in New Zealand this past season, is entering the draft as an international early entrant, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. Davison, who is just 19, will have the ability to withdraw his name from the draft pool anytime between now and June 12, if he so chooses.
  • In the wake of the NCAA’s championship game this week, both Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report updated their 2023 mock drafts. Notably, O’Connor has Alabama’s Brandon Miller (No. 3) and Ausar Thompson of Overtime Elite (No. 5) coming off his board earlier than Wasserman does (Nos. 4 and 8, respectively). Conversely, Wasserman is higher on UCF’s Taylor Hendricks, putting him at No. 6, compared to No. 10 for O’Connor.
  • Purdue’s Zach Edey has won a series of national player of the year awards, including being named the Naismith’s men’s player of the year. But how will the 7’4″ big man’s game translate to the NBA? Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca explores that question, noting that most draft experts don’t project Edey as a first-round pick.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Duke’s Dereck Lively Among Draft’s Recent Early Entrants

April 4th, 2023 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Duke center Dereck Lively II announced on Tuesday that he’s entering his name in the 2023 NBA draft, confirming his decision in a video on Twitter. There’s no mention in Lively’s statement or a press release from the school about him preserving his remaining NCAA eligibility, so it sounds like he intends to go pro.

A 7’2″ center, Lively doesn’t have much of an offensive game, having averaged just 5.2 points in 20.6 minutes (34 games) during his first and only college season. However, his defensive upside is significant and he’s considered perhaps the best shot blocker in this year’s draft class, having averaged 2.4 BPG for the Blue Devils.

John Hollinger of The Athletic recently wrote that the floor spacing at the NBA level should give Lively more room to operate as a rim runner. He has shown some passing ability and the potential to make corner threes, according to Hollinger, so there’s reason to be hopeful that he could develop a passable offensive game to go along with his game-changing defense.

Lively is the No. 22 prospect on ESPN’s big board.

Here are more updates on early entrants declaring for the draft in recent days:

  • Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis will forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the 2023 NBA draft, he announced on Instagram. A possible first-round pick, Jackson-Davis is the No. 31 prospect on ESPN’s board after an impressive 2022/23 season in which he averaged a double-double (20.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG) to go along with 4.0 APG and 2.9 BPG in 32 contests (34.5 MPG).
  • Arkansas junior guard Ricky Council IV has declared for the draft, making his announcement on Twitter. Based on his statement, it sounds like Council will forgo his remaining college eligibility. The No. 43 prospect on ESPN’s top 100, Council transferred to the Razorbacks after two years at Wichita State. His shooting percentages dipped a little in 2022/23, to 43.3% from the floor and 27.0% on threes, but he averaged 16.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.3 APG in 36 games (34.1 MPG) and has “an NBA-caliber frame and exceptional explosiveness,” per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
  • The following players are also entering the draft and will maintain their NCAA eligibility unless otherwise noted:
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Michigan’s Kobe Bufkin Declares For NBA Draft

April 2nd, 2023 at 1:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Michigan point guard Kobe Bufkin has announced that he is declaring for the 2023 NBA draft, according to the school (Twitter link).

“As a result of our collective dedication, I was able to fulfill my dream of attending and representing the University of Michigan,” he said in a statement.

“To my U of M family, it was been an amazing experience, being a part of such an iconic university,” Bufkin continued. “This is including the Ann Arbor community, the outstanding academic experience, and of course, my basketball brotherhood. A brotherhood that I will forever hold close to my heart.”

Bufkin is currently listed as the No. 23 prospect on ESPN’s big board.

The 6’4″ guard started all 33 of his games played during his sophomore season with the Wolverines in 2022/23. He averaged 14.0 PPG on .482/.355/.849 shooting splits, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG and 0.7 BPG.

Michigan did not quality for the NCAA Tournament this season, but instead participated in the 2023 NIT competition as the third seed.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Alabama’s Noah Clowney Among Draft’s Recent Early Entrants

April 2nd, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Alabama power forward Noah Clowney will enter the 2023 NBA draft following his freshman season, having announced his intentions on Instagram. Clowney’s statement doesn’t include any mention of preserving his remaining NCAA eligibility, which likely means he plans to forgo that eligibility and go pro.

In his first and only college season, Clowney averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game (36 games) as a full-time starter for the Crimson Tide. His strong showing earned him a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman team.

The No. 20 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, Clowney is one of two potential first-round picks out of Alabama this year, joining college teammate Brandon Miller.

In his most recent mock draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had Clowney coming off the board at No. 25, noting that there are NBA evaluators who love the 18-year-old’s “mix of athleticism and length,” though he remains raw and doesn’t have a reliable jump shot.

The following prospects also recently declared for the draft as early entrants:

Expected to remain in the draft:

Testing the draft waters:

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Kentucky’s Cason Wallace Entering 2023 NBA Draft

April 1st, 2023 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky freshman guard Cason Wallace is entering the 2023 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Wallace is the latest projected lottery pick to announce that he’s declaring for the draft and going pro, joining Brandon Miller, Jarace Walker, and Keyonte George, among others. Wallace is currently the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2023 draft class on Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.

Wallace’s numbers in 32 games as a freshman don’t necessarily jump off the page. He averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 32.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .446/.346/.757.

However, he finished the year strong, enjoying perhaps his best game of the season in the Wildcats’ second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament (21 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting). He is also one of the best defenders in the draft, per Givony, and showed NBA evaluators a different aspect of his game when he assumed primary ball-handling duties following an injury to Kentucky point guard Sahvir Wheeler.

“Learning how to play the point guard position the whole game helped,” Wallace told ESPN. “It forced me to step up to another challenge in a new role.”

Wallace added that he’s intent on developing “each part” of his game further and intends to get “stronger, faster and quicker in the pre-draft process.”

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Gradey Dick, Colby Jones, Others Declare For NBA Draft

March 31st, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Kansas freshman guard Gradey Dick announced on ESPN’s NBA Today on Friday that he has decided to enter the 2023 NBA draft and go pro, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Dick had a solid year in his first and only college season, averaging 14.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG with a shooting line of .442/.403/.854 in 36 games (32.7 MPG) for the Jayhawks. He projects as a potential lottery pick, according to Givony, who has Dick ranked at No. 11 on his latest big board. Givony describes the 6’8″ wing as a player with “a high floor and plenty of upside left to tap into.”

Meanwhile, Xavier guard Colby Jones announced on Instagram that he’ll declare for the draft following a junior year in which he put up 15.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG with solid shooting percentages of 50.9% from the floor and 37.8% on three-pointers. He’ll forgo his remaining eligibility and go pro too, he confirms to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).

Givony, who has Jones ranked 29th overall at ESPN, writes that his “passing ability and all-around feel for the game” are two of his most appealing traits as a prospect, adding that he has also shown defensive toughness.

Finally, Houston guard Marcus Sasser also intends to enter the draft and it sounds like he’ll forgo his final year of eligibility. The announcement he made on Instagram includes no indication that he’s leaving the door open to return to school.

Sasser averaged 17.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, and 2.8 RPG on .438/.399/.826 shooting across 48 games (31.1 MPG) during his final two years with the Cougars. He currently comes in as the No. 36 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list.

Here are more of the prospects who recently declared for the 2023 draft:

Expected to remain in draft:

Testing the draft waters:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino Enters 2023 NBA Draft

March 31st, 2023 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Indiana freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino is declaring for the 2023 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to ESPN’s duo, Hood-Schifino didn’t initially project as an obvious one-and-done player, but a strong freshman year improved his draft stock and has made him a potential lottery pick. He ranks 13th overall on Givony’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects.

A 6’6″ guard, Hood-Schifino averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.1 minutes per game (32 contests) as a freshman, posting a shooting line of .417/.333/.776. The youngster took the reins at point guard for the Hoosiers when Xavier Johnson suffered a season-ending injury and helped the team claim a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.

“NBA teams were able to see that I can take over a game, create my own shot, run a team, that I have a high IQ, that I’m tough, and that I have a unique pace to my game,” Hood-Schifino told ESPN. “I’m looking forward to showing the NBA teams my body measurements matching what’s on paper, my athleticism, and my shooting ability.”

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Alabama’s Brandon Miller Entering 2023 NBA Draft

March 30th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Alabama forward Brandon Miller will forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2023 NBA draft, he tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Miller is one of the draft’s top prospects, currently ranked third on ESPN’s big board, but he could go as high as second overall behind French phenom Victor Wembanyama, Wojnarowski adds.

As a freshman for the Crimson Tide in 2022/23, Miller averaged 18.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .430/.384/.859 shooting in 37 games (32.6 MPG). Alabama was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the 20-year-old struggled mightily during the Tide’s three-game run due to a groin strain, with the team ultimately losing to San Diego State in the Sweet 16.

The 20-year-old was widely considered the top prospect in college basketball, earning numerous accolades, including SEC Player and Freshman of the Year and second-team All-America.

A 6’9″ wing, Miller has drawn comparisons to Paul George due to his length, guard-like skills, shot-making and versatility.

However, Miller was also tied to a murder case a couple months ago. He allegedly brought the gun that was used in the killing of a woman on the Tuscaloosa strip in January, according to police testimony.

Miller’s former Alabama teammate Darius Miles and another man, Michael Davis, were arrested and charged with capital murder. While the gun belonged to Miles, Miller reportedly brought it to the scene at his ex-teammate’s request. Miller’s car, which was struck by two bullets during the shooting, was allegedly one of two vehicles blocking the victim’s car.

Miller was not charged with a crime and his coach called him a “fully cooperating witness” who didn’t break any laws or school policies, which is why he was allowed to keep playing.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0