Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, North Carolina forward Henri Veesaar and Duke wing Isaiah Evans said Wednesday at the NBA draft combine that they will remain in the NBA draft, the report says. All three were projected as late first-rounders in ESPN’s post-lottery mock draft, according to ESPN.
Okorie, listed at 6-foot-2, was described in the report as one of the top freshmen in the country and is on track to move from an unranked three-star recruit to a one-and-done first-round prospect. “I already talked with coach Smith, Kyle Smith, and I talked to my agents and my family,” Okorie said. “I’m staying in the draft.”
Veesaar pushed his initial decision to just before the late-April deadline after a breakout season under Hubert Davis in which he averaged 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, per the report. The Estonia native said he had conversations with new coach Michael Malone before the deadline but remained intent on entering the draft. “I’m all-in on staying in the draft,” Veesaar said. “It’s 100% my decision to stay. I think it’s the right decision, basketball-wise.”
Duke’s Evans also said he has closed the door on a return to college and noted he hasn’t had any conversations with Jon Scheyer or the Blue Devils about going back to Durham. “I’m fully in,” Evans said, the report says.
The report adds that Michigan forward Morez Johnson remains open to options while going through the draft process. Johnson, listed at No. 20 in ESPN’s post-lottery mock draft after starting all 40 games of Michigan’s national championship run, averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds and said he needs to “talk to my agents” while focusing on the combine. Other players — including Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson, Arizona’s Koa Peat, Alabama’s Amari Allen and former Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou — said they are focused on the draft but did not close the door on a return to college, per the report.
The deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain college eligibility is May 27, the report says.
