Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats is coming to an end after one season.
He announced he will enter the 2018 NBA draft on his Twitter page:
According to Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio, Gilgeous-Alexander will hire an agent as well. He averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in his one season with the Wildcats.
"After consulting with my coaches at Kentucky and those involved with my process, I have weighed the pros and cons, and I would like to renounce my college eligibility in order to enter the 2018 NBA draft," Gilgeous-Alexander said, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. "I would firstly like to thank God, who made all of this possible and has covered me in his mercies from day one. I have worked really hard to get to this point, and because of the sacrifices and support of others, I am closer to my dreams."
Gilgeous-Alexander's versatility stands out, as he's a 6'6" playmaker who can serve as a facilitator and ball-handler but also attack the basket and hit from three-point range (40.4 percent at Kentucky). He also helps on the boards and can defend guards or small forwards if needed.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Gilgeous-Alexander as the 14th overall pick in his post-NCAA tournament mock draft and pointed to his "crafty footwork, ball skills and finishing instincts" when praising his abilities as a point guard.
Gilgeous-Alexander can spearhead an offense a number of ways, make defenses pay for sagging off him as a shooter with timely three-pointers and provide mix-and-match options on the defensive end even at the NBA level thanks to his length. He is a potential lottery pick as a result.
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