Just as he did last year, CJ Elleby declared for the NBA Draft. The sophomore forward tested the waters last year, and is doing the same this year looking for a first-round commitment.
“I’m just looking for that team to take a chance on me and believe in my abilities and see some potential in me,” Elleby said via Theo Lawson in the Spokesman Review. “That’s the main thing, is seeing who has interest and seeing if I can slip into that draft.”
With the structure and allowances of the NBA Draft process, any player with NBA ambitions should declare. By doing so, the player can receive feedback from pro teams. That gives a player like Elleby some insight into how he’s viewed by NBA teams and potentially what he can do to increase his stock.
This year, of course, is quite different. Players aren’t able to work out for teams, which is one of the main benefits of declaring. It is also likely Elleby’s best path to get the guarantee he’s looking for. Without workouts, a team would have to make a guarantee off of Elleby’s sophomore season. If mock drafts and media prospect rankings are close, Elleby is viewed as a second round or bubble prospect.
Elleby indicated that he isn’t interested in playing oversees. That means the key date to be aware of is June 15. If Elleby is going to retain his eligibility, he will need to withdraw from the draft by 5 p.m. on June 15.
Elleby returning for his junior season would be a significant boost for year two of the Kyle Smith era.
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Men’s basketball:
Washington State’s CJ Elleby declares for NBA draft while preserving eligibility | The Spokesman-Review
Because of the novel coronavirus, the pre-NBA draft process won’t look the way it did last year for CJ Elleby, but Washington State’s top scorer and rebounder will go through it nonetheless while still preserving his college eligibility, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports first reported Saturday morning.
Washington State's C.J. Elleby to test NBA Draft waters | Sports | rockdalenewtoncitizen.com
Washington State forward CJ Elleby, the Cougars' top scorer, said he will test the NBA draft waters but preserve his college eligibility.
Round 2: Elleby to test NBA draft waters again | Sports | lmtribune.com
For the second consecutive offseason, Washington State basketball’s big-haired standout forward will dip a toe in the NBA draft waters.
Baseball:
Before Washington State’s season stopped, Coeur d’Alene’s Kyle Manzardo had one of the hottest bats in college baseball | The Spokesman-Review
Kyle Manzardo’s attitude toward the monotonous work it takes to perfect a swing is partially why he had more base hits (27) than any other baseball player in the Pac-12 when the season stopped more than a month ago.
Football:
Pac-12 football preview: Oregon, USC are teams to beat in 2020 - Deseret News
There will be a new look in Pullman with Mike Leach gone — off to Mississippi State — but former Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich likes to put the ball in the air, just not as much as the pass-happy Leach.