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Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley Declares For NBA Draft

March 30th, 2022 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley won’t return to the Fighting Irish next season, telling Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he plans to enter the 2022 NBA draft and go pro.

A freshman in 2021/22, Wesley was named to the All-ACC Second Team after averaging 14.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.3 SPG on .404/.303/.657 shooting in 35 games (29.3 MPG).

Wesley, who just turned 19 earlier this month, intrigues NBA teams due to his ability to beat defenders off the dribble, his finishing ability, his length, and his NBA-ready body, according to Givony, who has the 6’5″ guard ranked 20th overall on ESPN’s big board.

Wesley’s shooting percentages as a freshman weren’t especially impressive, but he could boost his stock if he shoots well in pre-draft workouts, Givony notes.

“I’m a tireless worker,” Wesley told ESPN. “I rise to the occasion. Having such a veteran team alongside me was really helpful. We exceeded everyone’s expectations. I’m a 6’5” point guard and there’s no else in the NBA draft like me. People tell me I play like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I study him a lot. I don’t know that people realize how well I can shoot the ball.”

In other early entrant news, Wake Forest senior forward/center Dallas Walton will test the draft waters, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). DePaul senior guard Javon Freeman-Liberty is also putting his name in the 2022 draft pool, he announced today (via Twitter).

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And-Ones: Lottery, Draft, Wroten, NBA 2K League

April 28th, 2020 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA draft lottery is still scheduled to take place on May 19, but Anthony Slater of The Athletic is hearing the event is unlikely to happen that night. As Slater explains, the NBA will likely end up using the month of May as an “information-gathering” period before finalizing decisions in June, so the lottery figures to be postponed, with the June 25 draft date still up in the air too.

On executive who spoke to Slater estimated that front offices would want at least a three-week period or so between the lottery and draft to give teams time to adjust to their exact placement and to do last-minute research on players presumed to be in their range.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Updates on early entrants for the 2020 NBA draft continue to trickle in even after Sunday night’s deadline passed. Valparaiso sophomore guard Javon Freeman-Liberty tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link) that he has decided to transfer rather than keep his name in the draft. Meanwhile, Senegalese guard Brancou Badio, who played this season for Barcelona’s second team, has entered his name in the draft pool, according to Eurohopes (Twitter link).
  • Former NBA guard Tony Wroten, who appeared in 145 games for Memphis and Philadelphia from 2012-15, continues to pursue an NBA comeback, as he tells Chema De Lucas (Spanish link). Our Chris Crouse took an in-depth look last summer at how injuries have derailed Wroten’s career and how he has continued playing professionally in international leagues.
  • The NBA 2K League, which was originally scheduled to start its season on March 24, announced in a press release that its new “opening night” will be Tuesday, May 5. The eSports contests will be played remotely for at least six weeks, according to the announcement.
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Draft Decisions: S. Lewis, Armstrong, Camper, Santos-Silva, More

April 6th, 2020 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Florida freshman shooting guard Scottie Lewis had been considered a strong candidate to be drafted this spring, ranking 38th overall on ESPN’s big board. However, Lewis has opted not to declare for the draft, as he confirms to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

“I was so stuck on going to the NBA when I got home, but then I thought long and hard about it and with all the uncertainty about the draft process, and if there will even be a combine and team workouts, I felt like it was the right move to go back to school,” Lewis told Stadium.

As Goodman details, Lewis got feedback from the NBA’s advisory committee, and while he was confident he’d be selected if he entered, he received a wide range of opinions on when exactly he might come off the board. With few opportunities during this year’s pre-draft process to boost his stock, Lewis has opted to play at least one more college season in the hopes of showing individual improvement and enjoying more team success.

“There’s so much more I think I can show, that we can show as a team,” Lewis said. “I want to leave a legacy at Florida. … I’m an optimistic person and no matter where I get drafted, I’m going to work my butt off. But with all this uncertainty, it was best for me to play it safe and put myself in a better position a year from now.”

Although Lewis isn’t entering his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool, several NCAA underclassmen are doing so. In addition to Kentucky guards Tyrese Maxey and Ashton Hagans, whose decisions we covered earlier today, here are some of the recent prospects who will at least test the draft waters:

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