Washington State sophomore big man Mouhamed Gueye will keep his name in the 2023 NBA draft, a source tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Gueye has been taking part in the draft combine this week in Chicago, so the feedback he has received there presumably factored into his decision.
Gueye enjoyed a breakout season in 2022/23, averaging 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in 32.1 minutes per game across 33 appearances. He currently comes in at No. 47 on ESPN’s big board, making him a solid candidate to be drafted.
Here are a few more updates on early entrants who are deciding whether or not to remain in the draft:
- Although UConn junior guard Andre Jackson is still technically testing the draft waters, his comments at the combine strongly suggest he’s planning to stay in this year’s draft, as Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com writes. Discussing UConn’s chances of repeating as NCAA champions next season, Jackson said that he’s “probably going to be out.” He’s currently the No. 30 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
- Butler forward Manny Bates doesn’t show up on ESPN’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects, but he has decided to remain in the draft and go pro, agent Marquiest Gadson tells Rothstein (Twitter link).
- Texas guard Tyrese Hunter has opted to return to the Longhorns for his junior season, he announced on Instagram. He tested the draft waters after averaging 10.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG as a sophomore.
- Miami forward Norchad Omier is pulling out of the draft and returning to the Hurricanes for his senior season, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Omier was among the prospects who took part in the G League Elite Camp last weekend.
- Senior center Qudus Wahab is withdrawing from the draft and will transfer from Georgetown to Penn State for his final year of NCAA eligibility, tweets Rothstein. Wahab put up 9.6 PPG and 7.1 RPG as the Hoyas’ primary starting center last season.
- Purdue big man Zach Edey may take his draft decision down to the wire, gathering as much information as he can before making a call, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “I really won’t know my answer for what I’m doing until basically the deadline,” said Edey, who is considered a candidate to be picked in the second round.