April 2020 Basketball Wiretap

Corey Kispert Withdraws From Draft, Will Return To Gonzaga

Aug 4, 2020 1:01 AM

Corey Kispert will return to Gonzaga for his senior season after withdrawing from the NBA draft.

Kispert was rated as a second-round pick by ESPN, and No. 47 player overall in the draft rankings.

"I am so excited to get to work with the phenomenal team we have this year. And of course, I look forward to playing for the greatest basketball fans and community in the country. We will see you all very soon," said Kispert.

The small forward averaged 13.9 points and 4.0 rebounds last season.

Gonzaga could potentially receive the preseason No. 1 team ranking in the country for the upcoming season. 

Jeff Borzello/ESPN

Tags: Corey Kispert, Gonzaga Bulldogs, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft Withdrawals

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Jared Butler Withdraws From Draft, Returns To Baylor

Aug 3, 2020 11:00 AM

Jared Butler has withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft to return to Baylor.

"After going through this process, making an important decision for the rest of my life, I truly felt like I couldn't go wrong with either decision," Butler told ESPN. "It came down to making the most out of my development as a player and as an adult. In the end I felt like coming back to school would set me up in both aspects in a way that I couldn't deny. Even though the opportunity to reach my dream of playing in the NBA was readily at hand, I think next year it will still be there, possibly even with greater opportunities."

Butler was ranked the No. 46 prospect in the ESPN 100. He averaged 16 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists for Baylor.

"The feedback I received from NBA teams was really helpful, Butler said. "I think I created relationships with the 20-plus teams I interviewed with and made a good impression on all of them. I had some great conversations, met some great people on Zoom, and learned a lot from it. They highlighted my strengths and weaknesses, which was really helpful in critiquing my own game."

Jonathan Givony/ESPN

Tags: Jared Butler, Baylor Bears, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NBA Draft Withdrawals

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Makur Maker Withdraws From 2020 NBA Draft

Aug 3, 2020 10:51 AM

Makur Maker will withdraw from the 2020 NBA Draft.

Maker will attend Howard and is the highest-rated modern prospect to attend a historically black college or university.

Maker is the cousin of Thon Maker.

Adam Zagoria/Forbes

Tags: Makur Maker, Howard Bison, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NBA Draft Withdrawals

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Luka Garza Withdraws From Draft, Will Return To Iowa

Aug 2, 2020 3:45 PM

Luka Garza has withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft and will return to Iowa.

"I love this place too much to leave it," Garza said in a Sunday news conference.

Garza lost the two-man race for last season's Wooden Award and will be a projected national player of the year in 2021.

Garza, who recently received an invite to the NBA combine, said he "felt strongly" he would have been drafted and said he had offers in Europe.

"It's been really strange and difficult with COVID-19," Garza said. "It added a lot of uncertainty. At the end of the day, I felt very confident that I wanted to come back and finish my career at the University of Iowa."


Myron Medcalf/ESPN

Tags: Luka Garza, Iowa Hawkeyes, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NBA Draft Withdrawals

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Joel Ayayi Withdraws From Draft To Remain At Gonzaga

Aug 2, 2020 3:36 PM

Joel Ayayi has withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft and will return to Gonzaga for his junior season.

Ayayi averaged 10.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals last season. He was named the West Coast Conference tournament most outstanding player.

ESPN

Tags: Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga Bulldogs, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NBA Draft Withdrawals

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Aaron Henry Withdraws From Draft, Will Return To Michigan State

Aug 2, 2020 3:34 PM

Aaron Henry has withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft and will return to Michigan State.

"This decision was based off wanting to maximize my opportunity to be coached by the best coach in the game in Tom Izzo and reach my dreams and full potential," Henry told ESPN. "I wanted to put myself in the best situation possible and not rush anything to make sure I start my career on the right foot. This was a tough decision, but year three will be the year."

Henry was ranked the No. 55 prospect in the ESPN 100. Henry has potential as a two-way wing.

Jonathan Givony/ESPN

Tags: Aaron Henry, Michigan State Spartans, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NBA Draft Withdrawals

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