UCLA guard Amari Bailey is declaring for the 2023 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining college eligibility, his mother, Johanna Leia, tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
As a freshman for UCLA in 2022/23, Bailey averaged 11.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.1 SPG on .495/.389/.698 shooting in 30 games (26.9 MPG). He helped lead the Bruins to a 31-6 record and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they ultimately lost in the Sweet 16 to Gonzaga.
In his analysis at ESPN, Givony writes that Bailey was a projected first-round pick entering the season who had a rough start to his freshman campaign, particularly pointing to his questionable jump shot and uneven decision-making.
However, according to Givony, Bailey had a strong finish to the season and could see his stock rise if he performs well in pre-draft workouts. He is currently No. 42 on ESPN’s big board.
Here are some more early entrants for the 2023 draft:
- Arizona junior Azuolas Tubelis (No. 68 on ESPN’s board) is entering the draft, he tells Givony, who adds that the Lithuanian forward is expected to forgo his eligibility and turn pro. Tubelis had an impressive junior season for the Wildcats, averaging 19.8 PPG, 9.1 SPG, 2.0 APG and 1.1 SPG while shooting 57% from the field and 76.4% from the line in 35 games (30.1 MPG). According to Givony, Tubelis plans to play at the NBA draft combine next month in an effort to boost his stock.
- UConn big man Adama Sanogo, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament after leading the Huskies to the championship, plans to enter the draft, sources tell Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Sanogo, a junior, will be testing the draft waters or keep his name in and go pro. He averaged 17.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG on .606/.365/.766 shooting in 39 games (26.5 MPG) this season. Sanogo is ranked No. 87 on ESPN’s board, so he’s considered a long shot to get drafted.
- SMU guard Zhuric Phelps is entering the draft while maintaining his college eligibility, as is San Diego State forward Keshad Johnson, who is also entering the transfer portal, the two players announced on social media (Twitter links). Phelps averaged 17.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.2 APG and 2.3 SPG on .394/.309/.609 shooting in 30 games (31.4 MPG) as a sophomore for the Mustangs. Johnson, a senior who has one year of eligibility left due to COVID-19, averaged 7.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG on .532/.262/.648 shooting in 39 games (22.2 MPG) for the Aztecs, who made it to the title game for the first time before losing to UConn. Neither player is ranked on ESPN’s board.