UCLA’s Lonzo Ball To Declare For NBA Draft

Following the disappointing loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen, UCLA’s star point guard, Lonzo Ball, has decided to take his talents to the NBA.

Ball admitted after the loss to Kentucky that he has played his last game for the Bruins, via ESPN’s Jeff Goodman:

“That was my final game for UCLA, and I appreciate all the fans and all the support,” Ball said.

With Ball now on his way to the NBA, the question remains whether he’ll be the top pick in the NBA Draft come June 1. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Ball was widely considered to be the top prospect and he improved his stock with two impressive performances against Kent State and Cincinnati.

Although Ball impressed in the first two rounds of the tourney, the NBA-bound point guard struggled against Kentucky. Ball was outplayed in every which way in that Sweet Sixteen game against the Wildcats with another fellow top prospect, De’Aaron Fox, exploding for a game-high 39 points.

Ball finished the game against Kentucky with only 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting (1-for-6 from three-point territory), eight assists, four rebounds, and four turnovers. Ball’s draft stock may have taken a bit of a hit with Fox outshining the highly touted 19-year-old and making a case to be the first point guard taken on the board on June 1.

Despite the poor showing against the Wildcats, Ball will still be in contention to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Other notable college players also in the conversation for the top pick include Markelle Fultz (Washington), Josh Jackson (Kansas), Jayson Tatum (Duke), and Malik Monk (Kentucky).