BYU’s Kennard Davis Jr. has formally declared for the NBA Draft, and I’m not certain how to feel about it.
As the NBA published the list of all 71 players who have applied as early entry prospects, one name stood out to BYU fans, and it was not expected number-one overall selection, AJ Dybantsa. It wasn’t Robert Wright III, who had an All-Big 12 season as a sophomore. It was not projected as a draft selection at all. Kennard Davis Jr. , a BYU junior who is weighing his options in the NBA Draft process, made the announcement.
I realize that every young boy aspires to play professional basketball in the NBA one day, but if you are BYU hoops transfer Kennard Davis Jr. , today is not the day to make your NBA case.
Now, just because his name appears in the NBA Draft does not imply that his college career is over. With recent developments throughout the years, athletes do not have to maintain amateur status to earn their universities and television networks millions of dollars—thank goodness for sanity’s triumph—and they utilize the NBA Draft as something of a reconnaissance operation to gather information and assess interest from professional teams.
If you’re a player on the verge of being selected in the second round or going undrafted entirely, looking into the draft process is a smart decision.
If you’re a player like Kennard Davis, who was a big letdown in his sole year of power conference play, asking the league if they want to draft you is similar to asking a stone whether it will lie down for a bit. You already know the answer, so why are you asking?
Davis was a fantastic player for the Southern Illinois Salukis as a sophomore, averaging over 20 points as the team’s captain and main offensive choice while also playing exceptional defense. He looked to be an excellent 3-and-D match for the Cougars’ Big 3, having added a three-point shot that connected on 37. 6% of his attempts to his arsenal.
But after hovering under the 30% barrier from three-point range for the most of the season, Davis’ output left much to be desired. He needed a change of scenery, so the transfer portal was the next logical step. Furthermore, with a great list of prospective programs at his disposal, he would not have to settle for a non-power conference school to play out his final season of eligibility.
Unless he actually goes through with this entire NBA Draft thing.
Davis, at 6’6″ and with the playing style of a prospective professional contributor, may find his stride as a senior and raise his draught stock just in time. But, as his profile looks today, he would be squandering his basketball career by forgoing his last year of eligibility and remaining undrafted.
