One NBA Draft analyst says PJ Washington helped stock at Combine
With PJ Washington being the only one of Kentucky's men's basketball players at the NBA Draft Combine who had not signed with an agent, there was a lot of attention given to how the rising sophomore would perform.
At least one NBA Draft analyst says Washington helped his stock with his performance this past week in Chicago.
"Two strong combine days makes Washington’s draft decision a bit more interesting. He’s said publicly he wants to turn pro only if he’s a first-round pick, and while that deal is far from sealed, he at least gave teams more to think about this week. Washington is a unique player, standing 6’7” but utilizing long arms and plus athletic ability to bang on the inside. He showed a good understanding of the floor, rebounded aggressively, and notably hit three midrange jumpers in a row early in Friday’s scrimmage. Washington’s unique skill set will only fit with certain lineups as a small-ball big, but he certainly does enough to get drafted. If he really wants to be a first-rounder it may help his case to go back, but he’s at least turned some heads."
Woo also gives his opinions on South Carolina's Brian Bowen, Villanova's Donta DiVincenzo, UCLA's Kris Wilkes and others.
Meanwhile, Washington told the Herald-Leader's Jerry Tipton in Chicago, “If I get a second-round guarantee, I’m definitely going back to school. If it’s first round, I believe I should take it. If it’s second round, I believe I should come back.”
The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from this year's draft is May 30. The draft will be held June 21.
This story was originally published May 19, 2018 at 2:14 PM with the headline "One NBA Draft analyst says PJ Washington helped stock at Combine."