Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV’s Donovan Williams declares for NBA Draft

UNLV Men's Basketball vs. New Mexico

Steve Marcus

UNLV Men’s Basketball vs. New Mexico

Donovan Williams enjoyed a breakout campaign for UNLV in 2021-22. Now he wants to take it one step further, as the lanky junior announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft.

Williams, a 6-foot-6 wing, made the declaration on his Twitter account, explaining that he wants to explore the draft process while maintaining his college eligibility:

Williams transferred from Texas after not seeing consistent playing time in his first two seasons for the Longhorns. Under UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger, he emerged as the team’s second-leading scorer at 12.7 points per game and earned Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year honors.

A former 4-star recruit in the Class of 2019, Williams has long held a ton of potential due to his outstanding length and athleticism. He arrived at UNLV with major questions about his shooting ability, but he put those concerns to rest by nailing 43.6% of his 3-pointers this season, the best mark on the team.

Williams’ best stretch of play came midway through the season, when he tallied eight straight double-digit scoring games, including a career high 32 points against Hartford on Dec. 11. For the season Williams recorded five 20-point performances.

His draft stock remains to be seen. NCAA rules allow players to enter their name in the draft and take place in pre-draft workouts in order to solicit feedback from NBA coaches and scouts. Players can then use that feedback and decide whether they want to remain in the draft or return to college.

UNLV star scorer Bryce Hamilton followed a similar path last year, declaring for the draft before returning to UNLV for his senior season. On Monday, Hamilton once again declared for the draft and is expected to follow through this time, despite having one year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 year.

If Williams chooses to return to UNLV he would have two years of eligibility remaining.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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