After testing the draft waters this spring as an early entrant, USC sophomore Jacob Cofie has decided to withdraw his name and return to the Trojans for his junior year, agent Aman Dhesi tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
A 6’10” power forward, Cofie performed well during the pre-draft process, standing out during the G League combine earlier this month and earning an invitation to the full-fledged combine as a result. However, he was always considered a long shot to be drafted, ranking 99th on ESPN’s big board.
As Givony notes, Cofie will be hoping the momentum from his strong combine showings carries over to the 2026/27 season. As a sophomore in ’25/26, he averaged 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game across 32 outings (all starts) for USC. The 20-year-old made just 51.0% of his shots from the floor, but just 31.8% of his three-pointers and 60.5% of his free throws.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA will resume announcing its 2025/26 award winners beginning on Wednesday evening, the league confirmed today (Twitter link). The All-Rookie teams will be revealed during Peacock’s pregame show tonight, with the All-Defensive teams (Friday), All-NBA teams (Sunday), and Coach of the Year (next Tuesday) to follow in the coming days.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks places the NBA’s 30 teams into seven tiers based on the current and future draft assets they control, with the Nets, Hornets, Grizzlies, Thunder, Spurs, Jazz, and Wizards making up his top group. The Nuggets are on their own in tier seven, since they’re the only team without the ability to trade a future first-rounder (they can technically move this year’s No. 26 pick after making a selection).
- Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban has no plans to invest in an NBA Europe team, as Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports details. Referring to the prospect of launching a basketball club tied to an established soccer brand as a potential “hornet’s nest,” Cuban said the NBA’s reported buy-in price ($500MM to $1 billion) is more than he can justify spending. “I can buy a team in a smaller league, win that country’s league and work my way up,” he said.