By Gunnar Sadowey, Staff Writer
While names like Ja Morant, PJ Washington, Bol Bol and others have already declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, there are a couple of big name players that still have yet to decide. The last day to enter into the NBA draft is April 21. Here’s a couple of standout athletes that are still waiting to give their announcement on whether they will remain in college or go pro.
Zion Williamson, Duke, Forward, Freshman
As the most hyped player coming out of high school, Williamson fulfilled expectations in his freshman campaign at Duke. Overcoming a foot injury that forced him to miss nearly a month of games in the heart of ACC play, he finished with accolades including First-Team ACC, ACC Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year. Williamson averaged 22.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 2.1 APG, all while shooting 68 percent from the field.
R.J. Barrett, Duke, Forward, Freshman
Barrett has basketball experience on both the national and international levels, leading Duke and the ACC in scoring with an average of 23.4 PPG in ACC play, while previously participating for the Canada National Team at various FIBA tournaments. At the conclusion of Duke’s regular season, Barrett was named a member of both the Sporting News’ All-American First-Team and the All-ACC First-Team together with his teammate Zion Williamson.
Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech, Guard, Sophomore
Culver averaged 18.5 PPG and 6.4 RPG in his second season with the Red Raiders. After improving his scoring average by 7.3 points from his freshman campaign, he quickly gained the attention of NBA scouts. At the conclusion of the regular season, he was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. He flourished in the NCAA tournament, averaging 21 PPG over six games, leading Texas Tech to the National Championship game where they ultimately lost to Virginia.
Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga, Forward, Junior
This season, Hachimura led Gonzaga to the Elite 8 round of the Tournament. As a natural scorer with the ability to consistently reach the foul line, he averaged 19.7 PPG for the Bulldogs this year. Hachimura made obvious improvement from his sophomore to junior year, hitting 41.7 percent of his 36 3-point attempts this season after making just 22.5 percent in his first two seasons.
