FRIDAY, 12:27pm: Stokes confirmed his decision in a press conference today, as the school’s website details.
THURSDAY, 9:19pm: Tennessee power forward Jarnell Stokes is planning to announce his decision to declare for the 2014 NBA Draft during a press conference on Friday, reports Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. According to Parrish, Stokes is expected to be taken in the late first or early second round. ESPN Insider Chad Ford has the 6’8 Stokes ranked No. 31 on his list of top 100 prospects for 2014, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has Stokes at No. 65.
The Memphis native has played a total of three seasons for the Volunteers, increasing his scoring average by roughly three points per game since his freshman season. As a junior, he posted averages of 15.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 53.1% shooting from the field, and a 69.6% clip from the charity stripe on 6.2 FTA per contest.
Stokes strung together a few dominating performances during the NCAA tournament this year, helping Tennessee reach the Sweet 16 with averages of 18.0 PPG and 12.7 RPG through four games. Ford shows some concern about Stokes being a bit undersized for the pro game, but lists his strength and rebounding skills as major positives to look out for.