Brendan Bailey Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Bailey, Tucker, Wesson, Kalaitzakis

May 23rd, 2020 at 3:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Marquette forward Brendan Bailey has decided to remain in the draft, the university announced in a press release. Coach Steve Wojciechowski delivered the news about Bailey, who entered the draft pool in April.

A sophomore, Bailey played 64 games in two seasons for the Golden Eagles, averaging 5.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per night. The 22-year-old did a two-year Mormon mission after high school and didn’t join the team until the 2018/19 season.

“After counseling with my family, I have decided to forgo my junior and senior years and pursue a career in professional basketball,” Bailey added. “This has always been a dream of mine and Marquette has helped prepare me to make this dream a reality. Thank you Marquette, you will always have a special place in my heart.”

There’s more draft news to pass along:

Butler’s Jordan Tucker has also opted to remain in the draft, announcing his decision on Twitter. The junior forward averaged 8.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG this season. “Playing in the NBA has always been my dream,” Tucker wrote. “… This is a difficult decision, but it’s the one I want to make to be completely focused on my professional goals over the next few months.”
Ohio State early entrant Kaleb Wesson has signed with Jelani Floyd of Beyond Athlete Management, tweets Jeff Goodman of GoodmanHoops. Floyd isn’t certified by the NCAA, so it appears Wesson has decided to give up his remaining year of eligibility.
Greek guard Georgios Kalaitzakis entered the draft last month, but Panathinaikos is interested in keeping him for another season, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Kalaitzakis, 21, said he wants to go to a situation where he will get playing time.

Draft Notes: Joe, Bailey, Kurucs, Taylor, Eboua

April 20th, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Arkansas sophomore guard Isaiah Joe will test the 2020 NBA draft waters, head coach Eric Musselman told reporters today, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).

Joe is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 26 games (36.1 MPG) for the Razorbacks. Although his .390 FG% over two college seasons isn’t particularly impressive, it’s largely a result of his reliance on the three-point shot — 548 of his 718 total shot attempts came from beyond the arc, where he shot 37.8%.

Joe is ranked 61st on ESPN’s big board of 2020 prospects, making him a viable candidate to be drafted.

Here are a few more of the latest draft decisions:

Marquette forward Brendan Bailey is declaring for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility, a source tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com (Twitter link). Bailey averaged 7.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG with a .383 3PT% in 30 games (all starts) as a sophomore.
Arturs Kurucs, the brother of Nets forward Rodions Kurucs, has entered the 2020 draft, tweets ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The Latvian guard spent this past season playing for VEF Riga in Latvia.
Austin Peay junior guard Terry Taylor announced on Twitter that he’ll be testing the draft waters without hiring an agent. Taylor, who averaged 21.8 PPG and 11.0 RPG in 33 games (36.6 MPG) in 2019/20, is the second Austin Peay underclassman to declare for the draft, joining teammate Jordyn Adams.
Cameroonian forward Paul Eboua has signed with BDA Sports for representation, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Eboua – who ranks 56th on ESPN’s big board – hasn’t declared for the draft yet, but is expected to do so soon, per Carchia.