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Oscar Tshiebwe

Draft Decisions: Tshiebwe, Phillips, Brown, More

May 31st, 2023 at 5:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

In one of this year’s most anticipated decisions, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe announced that he will keep his name in the NBA draft pool, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

Tshiebwe was selected as the national player of the year in 2022 after averaging 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds per game as a junior, and he was an All-American again this season with 16.5 PPG and 13.7 RPG. Despite his lofty college status, Tshiebwe isn’t a sure thing to get drafted, ranking 75th on ESPN’s big board.

“What makes me decide what I’m going to do today is not about me,” Tshiebwe said in his press conference, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “Most of the time I pray and I follow the discernment of God. It’s just I am following what God has put in place, because the decision, if you feel peace and joy and happiness in your heart, that’s what you’ve got to go with.”

A few more high-profile players have decided to remain in the draft ahead of the 11:59 pm EDT deadline to withdraw and retain their NCAA eligibility. Among them are Tennessee’s Julian Phillips, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). The freshman small forward has gotten positive feedback from NBA teams during the pre-draft process, Givony adds. Phillips, 19, is listed at 34th on ESPN’s rankings, making him a potential late first-round pick.

Also staying in the draft is Kobe Brown of Missouri, tweets Matt Norlander of CBS Sports. Norlander considers the senior power forward a possible second-round pick, and ESPN has him listed at No. 46.

Baylor’s Adam Flagler, who has one year of eligibility remaining, has decided to remain in the draft as well, Goodman tweets. The shooting guard is listed as No. 80 by ESPN.

Among those deciding to withdraw from the draft, today’s most significant decisions involved Florida Atlantic guards Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin, who helped the Owls reach the Final Four in March, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He projects that their return will make FAU a preseason top-five team for next season.

According to Woj, Martin worked out for the Mavericks, Celtics, Bulls and Clippers, while Davis had sessions with the Celtics, Kings, Bucks, Jazz, Sixers and Pacers.

Here are a few more early entrants who have decided to return to school:

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Draft Notes: Pacers, Hawks, Kalkbrenner, Harrison, Bates

May 29th, 2023 at 9:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ricky Council IV (Arkansas), Nikola Djurisic (Serbia), Tevian Jones (Southern Utah), Darius McGhee (Liberty), Jordan Miller (Miami) and Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska) will work out for the Pacers on Tuesday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. Council, ranked No. 56 on ESPN’s Best Available list, and Djurisic (No. 59) are the highest-rated players visiting Indianapolis.

We have more draft-related news:

  • Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe (No. 75) headlines the group of six prospects that the Hawks will evaluate on Tuesday, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Overtime Elite’s Jazian Gortman, North Carolina’s Leaky Black, UAB’s Trey Jemison, TCU’s Emanuel Miller and Texas’ Sir’Jabari Rice will join him.
  • Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner is withdrawing from the draft and returning to school, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Kalkbrenner was considered a second-round prospect, ranking No. 62 on ESPN’s list.
  • Grand Canyon’s Rayshon Harrison is also returning to school, Rothstein adds in another tweet.
  • Eastern Michigan’s Emoni Bates interviewed well at the combine, which boosted his stock and made a lot of teams take a closer look at him, according to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Bates is considered a second-round prospect (No. 57).
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Draft Notes: Tshiebwe, Kings, Powell, Domask, Kaluma

May 10th, 2023 at 11:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout on Wednesday featuring six prospects, including Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe, a league source tells James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com (Twitter link). The other five players aren’t yet known.

Tshiebwe was named AP Player of the Year in 2021/22 for the Wildcats and followed that up with a spot on the All-America Second Team in ’22/23 after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block in 32 games (33.6 minutes). He is expected to attend the draft combine next week.

Sacramento controls the 24th, 38th (or 37th, if Washington picks ahead of Indiana in the lottery) and 54th picks in the 2023 NBA draft. Tshiebwe is currently ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s big board as he tests the draft waters while maintaining his final year of college eligibility.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Junior guard Justin Powell, who has played for three college teams – most recently Washington State this past season – has worked out for the Warriors, Celtics, Jazz and Mavericks, reports Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (via Twitter). Powell has converted an impressive 41.9% of his three-point looks during his college career. Like Tshiebwe, he’s testing the draft waters.
  • Forward Marcus Domask has withdrawn from the draft, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). After a standout four-year career at Southern Illinois, Domask will be transferring to Illinois for his fifth and final season, per Rothstein.
  • Creighton sophomore Arthur Kaluma, another combine invitee, is focused on staying in the draft, but he plans to transfer if he returns to college for his junior year, a source tells John Fanta of Fox Sports (Twitter links). Kaluma confirmed the news. “I am thankful for the chance to participate in the draft process and showcase my skills in front of various NBA teams,” Kaluma said, per Fanta. “After taking part in the NBA Combine and my agency’s Pro Day, I will discuss the feedback I’ve received with my family and advisors. Ultimately, I will decide whether to remain in the Draft or return to college based on what’s best for my career long-term. I want to express my gratitude to Coach McDermott and the entire Creighton community for two amazing years in Omaha.” The forward is currently No. 90 on ESPN’s board.
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NBA Reveals Players Expected At 2023 Draft Combine

May 9th, 2023 at 6:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has announced 78 players that are expected to attend this year’s draft combine, scheduled for May 15-21 at in Chicago, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.

Additionally, a select number of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which takes place May 13-14 in Chicago, will be invited to participate in the combine.

Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five scrimmages, as well as shooting, strength and agility drills. Some top prospects opt out of the scrimmages.

Victor Wembanyama, the projected top pick, is not on the list. His French League season is still ongoing.

The list of invitees is as follows:

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Draft Notes: Sanogo, Jackson, Tshiebwe, Bates, Droppers

April 30th, 2023 at 8:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson Jr. were two key contributors to UConn’s national championship season. Both players have been invited to the NBA Combine in Chicago in May. Adam Zagoria tweets.

Jackson, a combo guard, is a potential first-rounder. He’s currently ranked No. 30 on ESPN’s Best Available list. Despite a stellar college career, Sanogo may have to open some eyes during the pre-draft process in order to get drafted. He’s currently ranked No.  87.

We have more draft-related items:

  • Kentucky’s star big man Oscar Tshiebwe hasn’t ruled out returning to college but he’s got a number of workouts lined up, Zagoria adds in another tweet. Tshiebwe has already scheduled workouts with the Celtics, Bucks, Rockets and Kings. He averaged 16.5 PPG and 13.7 RPG this past season and is currently ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s list.
  • Will guard Emoni Bates get drafted? The Athletic’s Shams Charania, John Hollinger and Brendan Quinn explore that question. Bates averaged 19.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 30 games with Eastern Michigan after a tumultuous freshman campaign with Memphis. Bates catches scouts’ attention with his high-level shot-making but doesn’t offer much else, according to The Athletic trio. He’s ranked No. 56 by ESPN and No. 78 by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
  • What do Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins, Houston’s Marcus Sasser and Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis have in common? They are some of the players who have seen their draft stock decline heading into the combine, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
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Kris Murray, Jaime Jaquez, Oscar Tshiebwe Entering Draft

April 7th, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Iowa forward Kris Murray, a projected first-round pick who is currently ranked No. 26 on ESPN’s big board, has declared for the 2023 NBA draft, he announced via Twitter. Murray’s statement doesn’t say anything about maintaining his college eligibility, so we’re assuming he plans to stay in the draft and turn pro.

As a junior for the Hawkeyes, Murray averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.2 blocks on .476/.335/.729 shooting in 29 games (34.9 minutes). He was named to the All-Big 10 First Team for his efforts. Murray is the twin brother of Kings rookie Keegan Murray, who was the No. 4 overall pick last year.

UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez is also entering the draft and will forgo his final year of eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Jaquez, considered a fringe first-round pick, currently ranks No. 34 on ESPN’s board.

As a senior for the Bruins, Jazquez averaged 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals on .481/.317/.770 shooting in 37 games (33.2 minutes). He was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-America Second Team.

“Wherever I get drafted, I don’t care,” Jaquez said. “I’m going to make some sort of impact. People are going to feel like I impacted their organization. (Former No. 30 overall picks) Jimmy Butler, Josh Hart … those are the guys I study. They have a different mentality; they play to win.”

Here are a few more early entrants for the 2023 draft:

  • Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe, who was the 2021/22 AP Player of the Year, is entering the draft while maintaining his final year of college eligibility, he announced on Instagram. Tshiebwe averaged 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block while shooting 56% from the field and 72.9% from the line in 32 games (33.6 minutes) as a senior. He is ranked No. 74 on ESPN’s board and considered a fringe second-round pick.
  • Wake Forest’s Bobi Klintman (link via Sam Vecenie of The Athletic), Arizona State’s Warren Washington (Instagram link), and San Diego State’s Jaedon Ledee (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports) are all entering the draft while maintaining their eligibility. Vecenie believes Klintman, a 6’10” freshman wing from Sweden, could be a first-round pick in 2024. Washington and Ledee are both seniors who have one year of eligibility left due to the pandemic.
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Draft Decisions: Nembhard, Tshiebwe, Juzang, Etienne, Procida

April 21st, 2022 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

Gonzaga senior point guard Andrew Nembhard is entering the 2022 NBA draft and forgoing his final year of college eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Nembhard is ranked No. 50 overall on ESPN’s top-100 prospect list and is considered a probable second-round pick.

As Givony details, Nembhard has good size (6’5″) for a point guard and improved his outside shot over the course of his four years with the Zags. The 22-year-old told ESPN that he’d love to be a first-round pick, but his top priority would be to land in a spot where he can have a role and make an impact.

“Initially I can bring backup point guard minutes to a team. A player like Tyus Jones — I can emulate his role, bring a high assist-to-turnover ratio, get guys open shots, hit open threes and understand the game,” Nembhard said. “I can see myself in a similar role. I can give a team a different look off the bench, pushing the pace in transition, getting guys open shots. With the way the NBA spacing is, that’s only going to help me.”

Here are more of the latest updates on this year’s draft pool:

  • Kentucky junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who has been the No. 44 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list, has opted to stick with the Wildcats rather than entering the draft, he announced on Sportscenter on Wednesday (Twitter link via Givony). Tshiebwe, the consensus National Player of the Year and the NCAA’s leading rebounder (15.2 RPG), has been a major beneficiary of players’ NIL rights — a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old will likely earn about $2MM this season through NIL.
  • UCLA junior guard Johnny Juzang, the No. 80 prospect on ESPN’s big board, has entered the draft and sounds prepared to go pro, announcing his decision on Instagram. After beginning his college career with Kentucky, Juzang transferred to UCLA in 2020 and averaged 15.8 PPG on .436/.356/.854 shooting in 57 games (32.1 MPG) across two seasons for the Bruins.
  • Wichita State junior guard Tyson Etienne is entering the draft and forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Givony (Twitter link). After being named the AAC Player of the Year in 2021, Etienne saw his production dip a little in 2021/22, as he averaged 14.9 PPG on .359/.326/.768 shooting in 27 games (34.3 MPG).
  • Italian wing Gabriele Procida has entered the 2022 draft, his agency Sigma Sports announced (via Twitter). The No. 53 prospect on ESPN’s board, Procida has averaged 7.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .533/.411/.800 shooting for Fortitudo Bologna in Italian League play this season at age 19.
  • Two more international prospects – French guard Matthew Strazel and Italian center Leonardo Okeke – have declared for the draft. Strazel’s decision was announced by agent Olivier Mazet (Twitter link), while Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews.com (Twitter link) relayed the news on Okeke.
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Early Entry Deadline For 2020 NBA Draft Has Passed

April 27th, 2020 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for potential early entrants to declare for the 2020 NBA draft fell on April 26 at 11:59pm ET, which means prospects who aren’t automatically draft-eligible can no longer enter this year’s pool.

Players who have entered the draft don’t necessarily have to stay in, as long as they haven’t hired an agent — or as long as they’re working with one of 23 agents certified by the NCAA. Currently, the deadline for NCAA players to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility is June 3, though it’s possible that date will be adjusted if the NBA draft is postponed.

The NBA has a separate withdrawal deadline from the NCAA’s, allowing prospects to pull out as late as 10 days before the draft. With the draft scheduled for June 25, the NBA’s withdrawal deadline is June 15 — that date is generally the one to watch for international prospects, who don’t have to worry about maintaining NCAA eligibility.

Our full list of early entrants can be found right here. While we did our best to make our list as accurate as possible, some players who declared in recent weeks may have slipped through the cracks, while others reported to have entered the draft may have had a change of heart.

The NBA should formally release its initial early entrant list for 2020 within the next two or three days, so we’ll update our list at that point to reflect the league’s official data.

Here are the latest additions we’ve made to our list:

And here are a couple players who had previously planned to enter the draft who ended up opting to return to school instead. They’ve been removed from our list:

It appears there are approximately 190-ish early entrants in this year’s draft pool, which would be a significant step down from the last couple years, when that total has been in the neighborhood of 235.

Of course, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony notes (via Twitter), the real question will be how many of these initial early entrants end up staying in the draft. That number landed at 98 last year, and 91 in 2018. It will likely end up lower this year, not just because the early total is lower, but due to the coronavirus pandemic. As Givony observes, many prospects who entered the draft may not have much more info about where they stand by the June 3 withdrawal deadline than they have now.

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Draft Decisions: Richards, Tshiebwe, West, Burk, Adams

April 14th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

After initially tweeting on Monday that Nick Richards would likely be the next Kentucky underclassman to enter the 2020 NBA draft, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com writes that Richards will in fact declare for the draft.

Richards made his decision official this morning, announcing on his Twitter account that he intends to forgo his final year of college eligibility and go pro.

The junior big man looks like a realistic candidate to be drafted, ranking 59th on ESPN’s big board of 2020 prospects. He’s coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 14.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 31 games (29.6 MPG).

Here are more updates on early entrants declaring for the 2020 draft:

  • West Virginia forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe announced on Twitter that he’ll enter the draft while maintaining his NCAA eligibility. Tshiebwe nearly averaged a double-double (11.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG) in just 23.2 minutes per contest as a freshman and shows up on ESPN’s big board at No. 79. However, West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said on Monday that he believes the big man will likely return for his sophomore season, as Alex Hickey of WVMetroNews.com writes.
  • Marshall guard Jarrod West has declared for the draft while maintaining his eligibility, the program announced (via Twitter). West, a strong defender who averaged 14.2 PPG as a junior, sounds like he’s leaning toward returning to school. “It’s a chance to get my name out there and possibly get some feedback which could help improve my game, and end up helping our team be even better,” he said of the draft process, per Keith Morehouse of WSAZ-TV (Twitter link).
  • IUPUI junior guard Marcus Burk announced on Twitter that he has decided to test the 2020 draft waters. After transferring from Cambell, he averaged 21.3 PPG on .432/.386/.782 shooting in 2019/20, earning All-Horizon League Second Team honors.
  • Austin Peay freshman guard Jordyn Adams will also test the draft process, as he announced in a tweet. Adams was the Governors’ second-leading scorer in his first college season, with 17.4 PPG in 31 games (33.2 MPG). He was named Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year.
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