Kentucky guard Keldon Johnson has officially declared for the 2019 NBA draft.
Johnson had an excellent freshman season with the Wildcats, where he earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
And now he’ll enter the draft process in hopes of having the opportunity to land with an NBA squad this summer.
Keldon Johnson has submitted his name for the 2019 NBA Draft. Under new NCAA rules, he can sign with a certified agent, receive feedback and still have the ability to return to school if he chooses. He has until May 29 to make a final decision.
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— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) April 10, 2019
New rules allow players to sign with an agent and still return to school should they withdraw from the process by May 29, but that seems unlikely with Johnson considering that he is expected to be a lottery pick.
He is currently projected to go No. 7 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies, according to NBADraft.net.
Johnson averaged 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season while being one of the most impactful players in the SEC.
Fellow teammate PJ Washington has also declared for the draft, but point guard Ashton Hagans chose to return to school for his sophomore season.
John Calipari once again has a stellar recruiting class coming in, which includes a trio of 5-star talents in Kahlil Whitney, Tyrese Maxey, and Keion Brooks, as well as 4-star small forward Dontaie Allen.
The Wildcats also secured graduate transfer Nate Sestina from Bucknell, where he averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds this season.
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.