Villanova forward Saddiq Bey has decided to keep his name in the 2020 NBA draft and go pro, he tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Bey, whose departure was confirmed by the school (via Twitter), is signing with Excel Sports Management for representation, Woj adds.
Bey announced back in April that he’d be testing the draft waters following his sophomore year with the Wildcats. However, he kept his options open and hadn’t committed to going pro until now.
[RELATED: 2020 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
“Over the last two years, I have grown as a player, student, and man thanks to my coaching staff, teammates, and professors,” Bey said. “Villanova has the greatest fans in the world and I will miss playing in front of them next year. I will always be a Wildcat. … I am really excited to start the pursuit of my NBA career.”
The No. 18 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, Bey averaged a team-high 16.1 PPG in 31 games (33.9 MPG) in 2019/20. He also contributed 4.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, and an eye-popping .451 3PT% on 5.6 three-point attempts per game. After earning Big East All-Freshman honors a year ago, the forward – who turned 21 this spring – was a unanimous All-Big East First Team pick this year.
Although Bey looks like a lock to be a first-round pick, most mock drafts have him coming off the board outside of the lottery. Rob Dauster of NBC Sports argued this morning that Bey is one of the safest and most undervalued prospects in this year’s class, expressing surprise that he’s not “valued higher by the industry.”
I believe Bey will start out as a key offensive weapon off the bench for a competitive team. Not a game changer, but a reliable piece to the rotation who’s play should translate well to the professionals. I could see him on Orlando or Philly: Two teams that could be in his draft range
Bey should be a better Mike Scott
Sounds about right. Good comparison