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Bam Adebayo is staying in the NBA Draft.
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Bam is signing with an agent and will remain in the draft:
Kentucky's Bam Adebayo will sign with an agent and remain in the 2017 NBA Draft, per multiple sources. #BBN
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 24, 2017
The expectation has been for Adebayo to eventually sign with an agent, but it’s a surprise that it came this soon. He was planning on going through the combine to get feedback before making this decision, but regardless, this was the end result that everyone expected.
In his one season at Kentucky, Adebayo averaged 13.0 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game. He also led the team in blocks per game (1.5) and double-doubles (eight), including five double-doubles over his last 11 games. He was a member of the All-SEC Second Team and was also named to the All-SEC Tournament Team.
In the opening NCAA Tournament game vs. North Kentucky, Adebayo grabbed 18 boards, the most boards under Calipari in an NCAA Tournament game at Kentucky and the third most all-time in UK history in the tournament.
Adebayo is projected as a late first-round pick in June’s draft, but a good showing at the combine and workouts could vault him up draft boards.
With Adebayo gone, Kentucky is now assured of losing its top seven scorers from last season, as well as six of its top seven rebounders.