The Kentucky men’s basketball basketball association has decided to announce the new…

The Kentucky men’s basketball basketball association has decided to announce the new…

On Thursday evening, Kentucky Basketball continued their annual history of roster churn in the spring, leaving fans to speculate on what next year’s roster would look like and who else might make a choice to stay or leave the program in the coming weeks. We’ve already had Adou Thiero announce that he’s hitting the portal with the trifecta of being able to test the professional waters while also returning to Kentucky, and we now have our first draft attendee.

Justin Edwards revealed to the fanbase that he will enter his name for the 2024 NBA Draft and did not leave open the possibility of returning in his statement, which is still an option for him until the May 29th deadline.

This season, my time in Lexington has been all I hoped for, thanks to my coaches, teammates, and you, the fans. I am proud to have been a member of the renowned Kentucky program, representing the blue and white with everything I have. “Thank you to the Wildcat community for welcoming me from the start and making Kentucky feel like home,” he stated in his announcement.

“After careful consideration and a deep appreciation for the opportunities and experiences I’ve had here in Kentucky, I’ve decided to take a significant step forward in my basketball career.” With thanks, I am pleased to announce my choice to enter the NBA Draft.” Justin Edwards is presently predicted to go in the early to mid-second round in recent mock drafts, which is likely considerably lower than his party expected given that he entered college as a top-five recruit in his class. After a sluggish start to his freshman season, which ruined his draft predictions, it was swiftly saved on the other side of the New Year, when he started to find his groove through conference play.

Justin Edwards is presently predicted to go in the early to mid-second round in recent mock drafts, which is likely considerably lower than his party expected given that he entered college as a top-five recruit in his class. After a sluggish start to his rookie season, which derailed his draft prospects, he swiftly recovered after the New Year, when he began to rediscover his stride during conference play and the finish of the regular season.

Most fans expected his time here to be a one-year route to the league, so it’s not surprising that he’s declaring and not returning for a sophomore season, but I believe he’ll be chosen lower than he would have liked. In any case, all of these athletes want to play professional basketball and will take whatever path is offered to them, so I believe they are eager to pursue it in any way. Getting paid to play the game you love is a difficult career to pass up, regardless of how much your draft placement pays in comparison to the higher picks going sooner.