Duke sophomore power forward Matthew Hurt is declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft and will hire an agent, forgoing his remaining college eligibility, he told Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Although the Blue Devils didn’t have a great season, missing out on a spot in the NCAA Tournament, Hurt was a bright spot. He averaged 18.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 24 games (32.7 MPG), posting an impressive shooting line of .556/.444/.724.
Hurt’s performance earned him a spot on the All-ACC First Team as well as the conference’s Most Improved Player award. He’s the No. 48 prospect on ESPN’s big board, making him a realistic candidate to be drafted in July.
Several more prospects who are part of ESPN’s top-100 list have also announced that they’re entering the draft. Here’s the latest:
- Matthew Mayer, G/F, Baylor (junior): On the heels of winning national title, Mayer announced on Instagram that he’ll enter the draft while maintaining his NCAA eligibility. The No. 53 prospect on ESPN’s board came off the bench again for the Bears in 2020-21, averaging 8.1 points with a .395 three-point percentage.
- Santi Aldama, F, Loyola Maryland (sophomore): Aldama averaged a double-double (21.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG) with a .513/.368/.686 shooting line in 17 games (35.0 MPG) as a sophomore, earning All-Patriot League First-Team honors. The No. 57 prospect on ESPN’s board, Aldama told Givony that he’s testing the draft waters.
- David Johnson, G, Louisville (sophomore): Johnson, the No. 67 prospect on ESPN’s list, announced on Twitter that he’ll be forgoing his remaining college eligibility and going pro. He enters the draft after a sophomore season in which he averaged 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 19 games (35.1 MPG).
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Isaiah Wong, G, Miami (sophomore): Wong announced on Twitter that he intends to test the draft waters, leaving the door open to return to the Hurricanes. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 17.1 PPG in 27 games (35.5 MPG) in 2020-21, earning himself a spot on the All-ACC Third Team.
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