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Kentucky isn’t the only school in the SEC that was awaiting big decisions at the NCAA deadline to withdraw from the draft.. A total of 17 players from the SEC entered their names into the draft early this year, and most of them ended up returning to school.
Admiral Schofield is returning to Tennessee
This is huge for the Tennessee Volunteers. Schofield was a major contributor on a Vols team that shocked the country by winning a share of the SEC regular season championship and placing 16th in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. He averaged 13.9 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds last year. He also played the second-most minutes behind SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams.
Schofield declared for the draft but didn’t hire an agent, and then he was not invited to the 2018 NBA Draft Combine.
Auburn gets returns, gives up transfers
The Auburn Tigers have had an up-and-down off-season, and that continues as players make their draft decisions. The good news is they have two players withdrawing their names from draft consideration, as Austin Wiley and Bryce Brown are returning to play another year at least.
Brown was a first-team All-SEC selection last year, and the team’s second-leading scorer as he averaged 15.9 PPG. Wiley did not play last year, but averaged 8.8 PPG and 4.7 RPG in his freshman season the year before.
The bad news for Auburn is that they’re losing their leading scorer. The Tigers’ Mustapha Heron is transferring to St. John’s after averaging 16.4 PPG and 5.3 RPG last season. Heron is reportedly requesting a hardship waiver to play immediately.
Florida returns its leading scorer
Florida Gators star Jalen Hudson told ESPN that he’s removing his name from draft consideration and returning to Mike White’s squad for another year. Hudson averaged 15.5 PPG last year on a Gators team that had four players average double figures. Hudson also shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range. The 2018-19 season will be his senior year, so White will get just one more season from the 6-6 guard.
Florida’s Jalen Hudson told ESPN he will be returning for his senior season. Said he learned a lot from the NBA Draft process, but feels as though it’s best for him to play final season for the Gators.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) May 29, 2018
Missouri gets a Porter back
No, we won’t get to see a full season of Michael Porter in Columbia, but we will get to see his brother, who was becoming a star at the end of his freshman season. Jontay Porter averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman for Missouri, doing so after reclassifying so he could join his brother with the Tigers.
Jontay earned SEC Co-Sixth Man of the Year honors and was named to the league’s All-Freshman team. He’s in the school freshman record books for 3-pointers made (40, tied for fifth), blocks (55, third), rebounds (224, fifth) and rebounds per game (6.8, fifth).
The 6-11 big man scored 19-plus points in three of his final four games. He’ll be a sleeper candidate for SEC player of the Year in 2018-19.
Other notable decisions made on or near the deadline
- Tremont Waters back to LSU
- Tyler Davis stays in NBA Draft
- Terence Davis returns to Ole Miss
- Admon Gilder back to Texas A&M
- Chris Silva returns to South Carolina
- Brian Bowen stays in NBA Draft
- Kentucky loses Jarred Vanderbilt and Wenyen Gabriel but keeps PJ Washington