Draft Workout Notes: Kings, Wizards, Wolves, Jazz, More
The Kings hosted several prospects for pre-draft workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, the team announced (Twitter links).
The Tuesday group featured Trey McGowens, Ziga Samar, Ron Harper Jr., Brady Manek and Dallas Walton. Wednesday’s group was Jacob Gilyard, Fatts Russell, Yoan Makoundou, Karlo Matkovic, Yannick Nzosa and Kai Sotto.
The Kings control the fourth, 37th and 49th picks in the 2022 draft, and a handful of those players could be targets with one of those second-round picks. Nzosa, Samar, Harper and Matkovic are ranked between 53rd and 58th on ESPN’s big board.
Here are more workout-related notes from around the NBA:
- The Wizards are hosting a workout featuring six prospects on Friday, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The six are Akoldah Gak, Ty Gordon, Storm Murphy, Shareef O’Neal, Daeqwon Plowden and Vince Williams Jr. All six players are projected to go undrafted. Washington currently controls the 10th and 56th picks. Chuba Ohams will also workout for the team on Monday, reports Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com (via Twitter).
- Thursday’s workout hosted by the Timberwolves features Jake LaRavia, Max Christie, Marcus Weathers, Lucas Williamson, Cole Swider and Ryan Hawkins, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). LaRavia is the highest-rated prospect of the group at 28th on ESPN’s board. The Wolves hold the 19th, 40th, 48th and 50th picks.
- The Jazz are holding a workout on Thursday featuring Moussa Diabate, Ron Harper Jr., Drake Jeffries, Kur Kuath, Jaden Shackelford and Jeenathan Williams, as Andy Larson of The Salt Lake Tribune relays (via Twitter). Utah doesn’t own a pick at the moment, but most of those prospects are projected to go undrafted.
- Wednesday’s group workout hosted by the Hornets (Twitter link) included Marcus Bingham, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Makur Maker, Ikenna Ndugba, Taz Sherman and Payton Willis. All six prospects are expected to go undrafted. The Hornets own the 13th, 15th and 45th picks.
- The Pacers held a group workout on Wednesday featuring Andrew Nembhard, Scotty Pippen Jr., Gabriele Procida, Luke Travers, Quenton Jackson and Drake Jeffries, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Nembhard is considered the top prospect of the group with the 35th spot on ESPN’s board. Indiana owns the sixth, 31st and 60th picks of the draft.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Magic, Williams, Heat, Hawks
The Wizards are scheduled to work out six draft-eligible players on Monday, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Oklahoma’s Jordan Goldwire, Arkansas’ Chris Lykes, Kansas’ Remy Martin, Kansas State’s Mike McGuirl, Alabama’s Jaden Shackelford and Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley will attend the session.
As noted by Robbins, all six players are guards. The Wizards, who own the 10th and 54th overall picks in the draft, are coming off a season in which they finished with a 35-47 record, missing the playoffs.
Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:
- Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel examines how UNLV’s Donovan Williams could fit with the Magic. Aside from having the No. 1 pick, Orlando also owns the No. 32 and No. 35 selections in the event. Williams, a 6’6″ guard, averaged 12.7 points per game this past season.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel explores whether the Heat‘s individual defensive weaknesses are overstated. Winderman ponders whether Miami could compensate for some defensive issues by putting more points on the board. While players such as Tyler Herro improved defensively this season, others (such as Duncan Robinson) did not. Robinson fell out of Miami’s rotation during the postseason as a result.
- The Hawks will work out five players on Monday ahead of the June 23 draft, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. Atlanta will bring in Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Olek Balcerowski (Spain), Shareef O’Neal (LSU), Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt) and Jalen Williams (Santa Clara). The team will pick 16th and 44th this year.
Nets Notes: Simmons, Irving, Durant, Workout
Nets guard Ben Simmons has made a significant step following back surgery in early May, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons has moved from the recovery phase to the rehab phase and remains on schedule to be ready well before the start of training camp in September, a source close to the player tells Lewis.
“Microdiscectomy is probably one of the best procedures we do. Most patients recover really fast,” said Dr. Neel Anand, director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center. “Ten days to six weeks, rehabbing. Six weeks to three months, pretty much getting back to the field. And then three months I’d say most athletes will be back on the field, back doing everything.”
The Nets are hoping Simmons can become the versatile defender they were missing during a first-round sweep by the Celtics. He was the centerpiece of the James Harden trade in February, but wasn’t able to return to the court in time for the postseason.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- In the same piece, Lewis shoots down a rumor that Nets guard Kyrie Irving has changed his representation. Irving, who faces an offseason decision on his player option for 2022/23, will continue to be represented by his stepmother, Shetellia Riley Irving. Lewis states that there was an erroneous report that Irving had signed with Donda Sports, which was founded by Kanye West.
- TNT commentator Charles Barkley believes Kevin Durant‘s legacy has been tarnished somewhat by Brooklyn’s early exit and Golden State’s run to the finals, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Durant has long been criticized for joining a championship-level Warriors team where he won his only two rings. “You know it has an effect on his legacy,” Barkley said during a public appearance Wednesday. “If you go back and look, and I talked about it on the [TNT] show, LeBron [James] has said it before — he said, ‘I had to win a championship without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.’ And Kobe’s said it before, Rest in Peace, ‘I’ve got to win a championship without Shaq.’ So Kevin and Kyrie, before we elevate them among the old guys, they’re not going to get the credit they deserve until they win a championship by themselves and be The Guy.”
- The Nets currently don’t have a pick in this year’s draft, but they hosted six players for a workout today, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog. On hand were Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr., Kentucky’s Davion Mintz, Michigan State’s Marcus Bingham Jr., Providence’s Justin Minaya, Texas Tech’s Davion Warren and Fordham’s Chuba Ohams.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Magic, Quinones, Wizards
After an exciting 53-29 season that saw them get to within one win of its second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons, the Heat appear set to make some adjustments during the summer to get over the hump. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes that the Heat rarely leave a stone unturned in the free agency and trade markets, and that the team could pursue adding All-Star talents like guards Donovan Mitchell and Bradley Beal if they become available.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- The Magic worked out Memphis guard Lester Quinones over the weekend, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com (Twitter link). Quinones played for three seasons with the Tigers, averaging 10.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.9 SPG across 87 games, including 81 starts. The Magic possess the top pick in the 2022 draft, as well as the No. 32 and No. 35 selections in the second round.
- The Wizards are set to work out several young hopefuls tomorrow ahead of the draft, per Ava Wallace of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Wallace notes that Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr., LSU forward Tari Eason, Baylor guard James Akinjo, and Connecticut guard R.J. Cole will be working out for Washington. The Wizards possess the No. 10 and No. 56 picks in the upcoming 2022 NBA draft. Eason is the highest-ranked prospect among these four, coming in at No. 18 on ESPN’s big board.
- In case you missed it, we took a look at the Hawks‘ 2022 offseason, examining the personnel that could be on the move, both among players under contract for the 2022/23 season and free agents.
Lakers Notes: Ham, Westbrook, Prospect Workouts
At least three people involved in the NBA Finals believe Darvin Ham was the correct coaching choice for the Lakers, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.
Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown, who will take over as head coach of the Kings once the season concludes, has known Ham since 1996, when Ham was a rookie for the Nuggets and Brown was a first-year staffer, Woike writes. Brown later gave Ham his first NBA coaching job as an assistant on his staff with the Lakers in 2011.
“Everyone is like, ‘He’s a rookie head coach, going in there to work for the Lakers with all those veterans,’ but don’t get it twisted,” Brown said. “I would like to see who would be the first to challenge Darvin or roll his eyes because he will stand his ground. And he will make sure his point gets across and gets across within an authority a situation like that may need.”
Like Ham, Draymond Green is a native of Saginaw, Michigan, and he said Ham was an inspiration to him growing up, per Woike. Green also said Ham will bring much-needed toughness to Los Angeles.
“I think he’s going to bring a toughness, a blue-collar mentality just because that’s how he’s built. That’s how he’s raised. You have to be that way from Saginaw,” Green told The Times. “I think it’ll be a different toughness that they haven’t seen. And he’s going to command and require a different respect level that they haven’t really have had. … And I think that will bode well for that team.”
Celtics big man Al Horford also praised Ham, who was on the Hawks’ coaching staff when Horford played in Atlanta, as Woike relays.
“We really got after it,” Horford said of Ham. “He really challenged me to be better on the defensive end. Really challenged me to just be a better player in general. Darvin is about as good a guy as you’re going to see, a big competitor. Extreme competitor. The Lakers are really lucky to have a guy like him. He’s the kind of guy that you want.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Ham’s greatest challenge as head coach will be figuring out the best way to utilize Russell Westbrook, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. With that in mind, Buha explores three ways the new coach can optimize Westbrook’s minutes, assuming he’s still on the roster in 2022/23. Buha also notes that Ham isn’t expected to address the media until early next week.
- L.A. is holding a workout with six draft prospects on Friday, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The six are Lucas Williamson (Loyola Chicago), Hyunjung Lee (Davidson), Paul Atkinson Jr. (Notre Dame), Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt), Jamal Cain (Oakland), and Gaige Prim (Missouri State). According to ESPN’s big board, Pippen is the highest-rated among the group at No. 69, which makes sense, since the Lakers don’t currently hold any draft picks.
- In case you missed it, Ham was officially hired as head coach earlier today.
Full List Of 2022 NBA Draft Combine Participants
The NBA has revealed its list of 76 players who have been invited – and who are expected to attend – next week’s draft combine in Chicago. The combine workouts will take place from May 18-20.
Over the course of the week, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills.
While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft likely won’t participate in scrimmages, those top prospects are still expected to attend. That group includes Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.
A handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp could be invited to participate in the combine as well.
Here’s the full list of 76 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link):
- Ochai Agbaji, G/F, Kansas (senior)
- Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee (freshman)
- Paolo Banchero, F, Duke (freshman)
- Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
- MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001)
- Malaki Branham, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)
- Christian Braun, G, Kansas (junior)
- Kendall Brown, F, Baylor (freshman)
- John Butler Jr., F/C, Florida State (freshman)
- Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (junior)
- Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- Max Christie, G, Michigan State (freshman)
- Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois (junior)
- Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin (sophomore)
- JD Davison, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan (freshman)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Khalifa Diop, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Jalen Duren, C, Memphis (freshman)
- Tari Eason, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Keon Ellis, G, Alabama (senior)
- Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Collin Gillespie, G, Villanova (super-senior)
- AJ Griffin, F, Duke (freshman)
- Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers (senior)
- Chet Holmgren, C, Gonzaga (freshman)
- Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman)
- Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue (sophomore)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (junior)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003)
- Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA (junior)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001)
- Trevor Keels, G, Duke (freshman)
- Walker Kessler, F/C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Christian Koloko, C, Arizona (junior)
- Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest (junior)
- Justin Lewis, F, Marquette (sophomore)
- E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (junior)
- Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona (sophomore)
- Matthew Mayer, F, Baylor (senior)
- Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska (freshman)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003)
- Josh Minott, F, Memphis (freshman)
- Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman)
- Iverson Molinar, G, Mississippi State (junior)
- Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
- Wendell Moore, F, Duke (junior)
- Keegan Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
- Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
- Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
- David Roddy, F, Colorado State (junior)
- Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo (sophomore)
- Dereon Seabron, G, NC State (sophomore)
- Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Jabari Smith, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (freshman)
- Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor (freshman)
- Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy (born 2003)
- Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (sophomore)
- Dalen Terry, G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga (junior)
- Jabari Walker, F, Colorado (sophomore)
- TyTy Washington Jr., G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Peyton Watson, G/F, UCLA (freshman)
- Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
- Alondes Williams, G, Wake Forest (super-senior)
- Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara (junior)
- Jaylin Williams, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Mark Williams, C, Duke (sophomore)
- Trevion Williams, F/C, Purdue (senior)
- Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
Draft Notes: Strawther, Spagnolo, Pippen, Baugh, Zugic
Gonzaga sophomore wing Julian Strawther has declared for the 2022 NBA draft, he announced on Twitter. While Strawther doesn’t explicitly say that he’s forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility and going pro, his statement also doesn’t really leave the door open for a return to college, so it sounds like he’s not just testing the draft waters.
Strawther was a key contributor for a top-seeded Gonzaga team, averaging 11.8 PPG and 5.4 RPG with a .498/.365/.705 shooting line in 32 games (31 starts; 26.8 MPG). He’s currently the No. 71 prospect on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects for 2022, making him a candidate to be drafted, but hardly a lock.
Strawther is the second early entrant from Gonzaga to declare for the draft this spring, joining teammate Drew Timme.
Here are a few more updates on players entering the draft:
- Italian guard Matteo Spagnolo has entered his name in the 2022 draft pool, according to his agents at Sigma Sports (Instagram link). The 19-year-old, who is the No. 53 prospect on ESPN’s big board, has enjoyed a breakout season for Vanoli Cremona in Italy, averaging 12.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.6 APG with a .441 3PT% in 25 games (27.0 MPG).
- After testing the draft waters in 2021, Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. has once again entered the draft and will be hiring an agent and going pro this time around, he announced on Twitter. As a junior in 2021/22, the 6’1″ guard averaged 20.4 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 3.6 RPG on .416/.325/.749 shooting in 36 games (33.1 MPG). He’s the No. 97 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list.
- TCU junior guard Damion Baugh has decided to enter the 2022 draft, though he’ll just be testing the waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, he announced on Twitter. Baugh averaged 10.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 4.4 RPG in 31 games (31.1 MPG) for the Horned Frogs in 2021/22 after transferring from Memphis.
- Montengrin shooting guard Fedor Zugic has declared for the NBA draft, according to his agency, BDA Sports (via Twitter). The 18-year-old Zugic, who has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, doesn’t have to worry about losing college eligibility, so he’ll be able to wait until as late as June 13 before making a final decision on whether to stay in the draft or withdraw.
Draft Notes: Juzang, Abmas, Last-Minute Decisions
After leading UCLA to the Final Four, Johnny Juzang will withdraw from the NBA draft and return for his junior season. Juzang announced his decision on Twitter about an hour before the NCAA’s Wednesday deadline of midnight Eastern Time for early entrants to pull out of the draft and retain their eligibility.
“Going through the draft process has been an amazing experience,” he wrote. “I was blessed to connect with great people, learn and grow, and get a feel for life at the next level. I want to thank everyone who has helped me in this process including my family, trainers, school and especially my dad who helped me for countless hours!”
There was talk that Juzang might be a first-round pick after an outstanding performance in the NCAA tournament, but a disappointing showing at the combine hurt his status, according to Chad Ford (Twitter link), who speculates that he could be back in first-round consideration next year.
There’s more on last-minute draft decisions:
- Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas is also returning to school, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Abmas posted a statement on Instagram calling the draft process “a great learning experience,” but he thinks he would benefit from another year of college. Abmas, ranked 48th on ESPN’s big board, led the nation in scoring at 24.5 PPG and was named Summit League Player of the Year. Givony notes that he had a poor showing at the combine, shooting 3 of 18 from the field in scrimmages, which may have influenced his choice.
- Most of the players who announced their decisions Wednesday opted to withdraw from the draft. Some exceptions are Georgia Tech’s Jose Alvarado (Twitter link from Jeff Goodman of Stadium), Howard’s Makur Maker (Twitter link from Jon Rothstein of CBS) and Saint Louis’ Jordan Goodwin (Twitter link).
- Among those returning to school for another season will be Central Florida’s C.J. Walker (Twitter link), Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon Jr. (Twitter link), Wichita State’s Tyson Etienne (Twitter link), SMU’s Kendric Davis (Twitter link), Rutgers’ Ron Harper Jr. (Twitter link), UCLA’s Cody Riley (Twitter link), USC’s Isaiah Mobley (Twitter link), Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. (Twitter link) and Kevin Obanor, who will transfer from Oral Roberts (Twitter link).
NBA G League Announces 40 Draft-Eligible Participants For Elite Camp
The NBA G League has announced in a press release that 40 draft-eligible prospects are set to participate in the NBAGL Elite Camp next week in Chicago from June 19-21.
The G League Elite Camp is back this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event, which takes place right before the draft combine, will give a few dozen draft-eligible players an opportunity to impress scouts, coaches, and executives through strength and agility drills and 5-on-5 games.
As today’s announcement confirms, a select number of draft-eligible prospects participating in the G League Elite Camp will also be invited to attend the combine itself, which is scheduled for June 21-27 in Chicago.
The list of draft-eligible players who took part in the most recent G League Elite Camp in 2019 included a handful of prospects who were eventually drafted, such as Terance Mann, Cody Martin, Justin Wright-Foreman, Reggie Perry, and Dewan Hernandez.
Many of the draft-eligible participants in the 2019 Elite Camp also made it to the NBA after going undrafted, including Oshae Brissett, Chris Clemons, Tyler Cook, Tacko Fall, DaQuan Jeffries, Caleb Martin, Justin Robinson, and Max Strus.
Two years ago, this event also featured 40 G League veterans, for a total of 80 players. Based on today’s press release, it sounds like this year’s Elite Camp may be pared down to only include draft-eligible prospects, though it’s possible the NBAGL will announce more names within the next few days.
Here are the 40 draft-eligible prospects participating in the 2021 G League Elite Camp:
- Derrick Alston Jr. (Boise State)
- Keve Aluma (Virginia Tech)
- Jose Alvarado (Georgia Tech)
- Juhann Begarin (France)
- Chaundee Brown (Michigan)
- Jordan Burns (Colgate)
- Marcus Carr (Minnesota)
- D.J. Carton (Marquette)
- Moussa Cisse (Memphis)
- Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
- Oscar Da Silva (Stanford)
- Darius Days (LSU)
- Hunter Dickinson (Michigan)
- Dawson Garcia (Marquette)
- Marcus Garrett (Kansas)
- Haowen Guo (China)
- Jay Huff (Virginia)
- DeJon Jarreau (Houston)
- Carlik Jones (Louisville)
- DeVante’ Jones (Coastal Carolina)
- Balsa Koprivica (Florida State)
- A.J. Lawson (South Carolina)
- E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
- Mac McClung (Texas Tech)
- JaQuori McLaughlin (UCSB)
- Matt Mitchell (San Diego State)
- RJ Nembhard (TCU)
- Eugene Omoruyi (Oregon)
- EJ Onu (Shawnee State)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
- Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
- Aamir Simms (Clemson)
- Javonte Smart (LSU)
- Mike Smith (Michigan)
- D.J. Stewart (Mississippi State)
- MaCio Teague (Baylor)
- M.J. Walker (Florida State)
- Duane Washington (Ohio State)
- Aaron Wiggins (Maryland)
- Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
Aaron Henry Among Prospects Entering 2021 NBA Draft
Michigan State junior swingman Aaron Henry is entering the 2021 NBA draft, as the school confirmed today (via Twitter). While Henry could test the waters while retaining his college eligibility, he stated in his announcement that he intends to hire an agent, and it sounds like he’s prepared to go pro.
A 6’6″ guard/forward, Henry had his best college season in 2020/21, averaging 15.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 3.6 APG in 28 games (32.5 MPG) for the Spartans. His three-point shooting dipped to 29.6%, but he showed the ability to make those shots with more regularity in his first two college seasons, knocking down 35.7% of his attempts.
Henry is currently the No. 32 prospect on ESPN’s big board for the 2021 draft, making him a good candidate to have his name called on draft night in July.
Houston junior guard Quentin Grimes (No. 64) and Kansas junior guard Ochai Agbaji (No. 66) are among the other early entrants who have recently announced their intentions to declare for the 2021 draft, as detailed in press releases from Houston and Kansas. Grimes intends to go pro, while Agbaji will just be testing the waters for now.
Here are a few more updates on early entrants joining the draft pool:
- Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (freshman): Like his teammate Agbaji, Wilson will retain his NCAA eligibility while he goes through the pre-draft process, the Jayhawks announced in a press release.
- Mac McClung, G, Texas Tech (junior): After transferring from Georgetown to Texas Tech in 2020, McClung has once again entered the transfer portal, he announced on Sunday (via Twitter). As he did a year ago, McClung will go through the draft process.
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (sophomore): Pippen, the son of former NBA star Scottie Pippen, announced on Twitter that he’s testing the draft waters.
- Duane Washington, G, Ohio State (junior): Washington announced on Twitter that he’s entering the draft, and the wording of his statement suggests he expects to keep his name in rather than returning to school.