Trey Alexander among latest draft early entrants

Creighton’s Trey Alexander is entering his name in the 2024 NBA Draft pool, he announced on social media. The junior guard’s statement doesn’t say anything about maintaining his remaining college eligibility, and he confirmed to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports he intends to turn pro.

An All-Big East Second Team selection in 2023-24, Alexander averaged 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals on .446/.339/.824 shooting in 35 games (37.3 MPG) for the Bluejays, who were eliminated in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Alexander first tested the draft waters last spring before withdrawing and returning to school. At the time, he was ranked No. 89 on ESPN’s big board. For 2024, he has moved up to the No. 63 spot on ESPN’s list, making him a potential second-round pick.

Here are a few more early entrants.

• Belgian forward Thijs De Ridder is entering the draft, according to his agency, Tangram Sports. The 21-year-old has been playing for Bilbao Basket in Spain’s top basketball league this season (hat tip to RookieScale.com). According to Basketball-Reference, De Ridder has averaged 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds on .520/.395/.656 shooting in 31 Liga ACB games this season (17.5 MPG).
• British guard Quinn Ellis is entering the 2024 draft pool, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com. Ellis, 21, spent the 2023-24 season with Trento, a team that played in the EuroCup and Italy’s top basketball league (Lega Basket Serie A).
• Senegalese center Mouhamed Faye, a 19-year-old who plays for Pallacanestro Reggiana in Italy’s top league, is declaring for the draft, per Sigma Sports).

The NBA’s early entrant deadline officially passed Saturday night, but there will likely be more names trickling in before the league releases its full list of draft-eligible players.