Kentucky freshman Tyrese Maxey is entering the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Monday.
“My thoughts were that we would be playing for a national championship (today),” Maxey told ESPN. “Although we’re unable to do that due to what our country is experiencing, I felt like this was the day to declare for the draft to make it as special as I thought today would be.”
Maxey is the No. 8 prospect in the ESPN Top 100. Maxey averaged 14 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his lone season with the Wildcats.
The 6-foot-3 guard burst onto the college scene with 26 points in an opening night win over the No. 1 ranked Michigan State Spartans at Madison Square Garden.
During one stretch of the Wildcats’ season beginning in late-December, Maxey’s versatility was on full display. In a Dec. 28 overtime win over then No. 3-ranked Louisville, Maxey scored 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting (4-of-5 from 3-point line). Soon after, in a 78-69 win at Georgia, Maxey scored 17 points with eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Garland, Texas native was a McDonald’s All-American in 2019, joining the likes of blue chippers Brandon Knight, Devin Booker and De’Aaron Fox to only need one season in John Calipari’s backcourt before vaulting to the league.