LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — PJ Washington will return to Kentucky after withdrawing from the NBA draft, while teammates Wenyen Gabriel and Jarred Vanderbilt have decided to turn pro.
Washington, who participated in the NBA combine, posted a video on his social media accounts Wednesday that ended with the words “I’M BACK.” The 6-foot-7 Dallas native will be the Wildcats’ top returning scorer and rebounder next season after averaging 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds as a freshman.
Vanderbilt and Gabriel later announced they would stay in the draft after receiving positive feedback.
Injuries limited the 6-9 Vanderbilt to just 14 games, but he averaged a team-high 7.9 rebounds with 5.9 points per game as a freshman.
He did not attend the combine but says in a release the input he received during the draft process confirmed “that my time is now.”
The 6-9 Gabriel was not invited to the combine but said in a video on his Twitter account that his dreams of being a professional “are that much closer to reality” because of the feedback. He averaged 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds last season.