Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell is pulling out of the 2023 NBA draft and returning to school for at least one more year, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Murrell, who will be a senior in 2023/24, sounds intent on re-entering the draft next spring.
“After gathering feedback from my workouts and team personnel, I am going to continue to build my game at Ole Miss, so I am in the position I want to be in for the 2024 NBA draft,” he said. “I know who I am as a player and how that can translate to the NBA.”
Murrell’s shooting percentages dipped in his junior season, as he made just 36.5% of his shots from the floor, including 30.4% of his three-pointers. But he established new career highs in points (14.4), rebounds (3.5), and assists (2.6) per game and looks like a potential All-SEC player and 2024 second-round pick, according to Givony, who says the “physically gifted” wing impressed NBA executives at a pro day in Chicago earlier this month.
Like Murrell, several other early entrants have opted to remove their names from this year’s draft as the withdrawal deadline for early entrants nears. Here are several of the other players who are headed back to school:
- Will Baker, C, LSU (junior) (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports)
- Note: Baker is transferring from Nevada.
- Johni Broome, F, Auburn (junior) (Twitter link)
- Kevin Cross, F, Tulane (senior) (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- LJ Cryer, G, Houston (junior) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
- Note: Cryer is transferring from Baylor.
- RayJ Dennis, G, Toledo (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- Jaylen Forbes, G, Tulane (senior) (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- Blake Hinson, G, Pittsburgh (junior) (press release)
- Mark Sears, G, Alabama (junior) (Twitter link)
- Russel Tchewa, C, Georgia (senior) (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- Note: Tchewa is transferring from South Florida.
- Steele Venters, G, Gonzaga (junior) (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- Note: Venters is transferring from Eastern Washington