Following a promising freshman season at Kansas, Jayhawks wing Johnny Furphy has announced that he’ll enter the 2024 NBA draft while retaining his NCAA eligibility (Twitter link).
Starting 19 of the 33 games he played in his first college season, Furphy averaged 9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 24.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .466/.352/.765. He’s viewed as a potential first-round pick if he keeps his name in this year’s draft, coming in at No. 28 on ESPN’s big board.
Whether or not he decides to go pro, it figures to be an eventful summer for Furphy, who was included on Australia’s 22-man preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics. While he may not make the 12-man roster for Paris, Furphy’s inclusion signals that the Boomers view him as a key part of the national team going forward.
Here are several more draft-related updates:
- Virginia guard Reece Beekman will forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter this year’s draft, he announced on Instagram. A two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Beekman averaged 14.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in 2023/24. He’s the No. 69 prospect on ESPN’s board.
- Two more players in ESPN’s top 100 have declared for the draft: Croatian power forward Andrija Jelavic (Twitter link via agent Misko Raznatovic) and Colorado State senior guard Nique Clifford (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jonathan Givony). Jelavic, who played for KK Mega Basket in Serbia this season, is No. 88 on ESPN’s list, while Clifford comes in at No. 95.
- The following seniors are also testing the NBA draft waters as early entrants this spring while maintaining their final year of NCAA eligibility: Duke guard Jeremy Roach (Instagram link), Clemson guard Chase Hunter (Twitter link), and St. John’s wing Chris Ledlum (Twitter link).
- Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have updated their mock draft at ESPN (Insider link). There are no surprises at the top, with Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr, and Donovan Clingan still comprising the top three, in that order.
- This year’s NTX Combine, which will feature 32 senior prospects and will be broadcast on Bally Sports, will take place from May 8-10, per an announcement (Twitter link). Cavaliers guard Craig Porter and Mavericks two-way player Dexter Dennis were among last year’s participants.