The Kansas Jayhawks will be a very different team next season, as they will be losing their top two players, and two men who could challenge to be the number one pick in the NBA Draft. Coming just over a week after Andrew Wiggins declared for the NBA draft, center Joel Embiid has also put his name into the NBA Draft hat.
“I just want to thank God first for giving me this opportunity to come to the (United States) and play ball,” Embiid said. “I want to thank the coaching staff, my teammates, the fans — everyone that’s helped me through my journey. After thinking a lot, I’ve decided to declare for the NBA Draft.”
“Looking at different scenarios and gathering info of what was best for me … either way was best for me,” Embiid said. “Talking to my mentor, it was best the choice.”
Embiid was limited to just 28 games this season due to injuries. The flare up of a stress fracture in his lower back kept him out of the Big 12 tournament and the NCAA tournament and the injury is the biggest question mark on his draft status going forward. The talent he showed when healthy has the seven-foot tall center considered a prototypical big man going forward.
Just a freshman, Joel Embiid was one of the college game’s top big men, averaging 11.2 points and team bests with 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. The rebound average and 72 total blocks set school records for freshmen at Kansas.
DraftExpress currently has the 20-year-old, Embiid going No. 2 overall, behind fellow Jayhawk Andrew Wiggins in the June draft. LWOS’ draft expert Faro Halupa has Embiid going fourth in his March mock draft.
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