Kansas State guard Barry Brown declares for NBA Draft without hiring agent
.JPG "Kansas State guard Barry Brown announced Monday he will declare for the 2018 NBA Draft without hiring an agent.")
Barry Brown is ready to test the NBA Draft waters, but the Kansas State guard isn't ready to say goodbye to the Wildcats.
Brown, a junior, announced Monday via social media that he will declare for the 2018 NBA Draft without hiring an agent, a move that will allow him to communicate with professional scouts and coaches over the next few months before deciding whether to return to school for his final season or remain in the draft.
"After discussions with my family and coaching staff, I would like to declare for the 2018 NBA Draft," Brown wrote on Twitter. "In order to keep my college eligibility, I will not hire an agent. Thank you to all of the supporters of myself and the WILDCAT NATION."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">God’s Plan <a href="https://t.co/gU8GbGbXbY">pic.twitter.com/gU8GbGbXbY</a></p>— Barry Brown (@barrybrown05) <a href="https://twitter.com/barrybrown05/status/980942985646018560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Brown is coming off a stellar season in which he averaged 15.9 points, 3.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds while playing both guard positions. He scored as many as 38 points in a game against Oklahoma State and emerged as one of the best defenders in the country while helping the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight.
The Big 12 coaches selected him to their all-defense team. He was also a second-team all-conference selection.
Brown, at 6-feet-3 and 195 pounds, is thought to be a second-round possibility in this draft class. NBADraft.net lists him as the No. 63 pro prospect for 2018 and projects him as the No. 34 pick for 2019.
His choice to test the NBA Draft waters does not come as a surprise.
More and more college basketball players are starting to explore their pro options before their college eligibility expires, as new rules allow NBA hopefuls to declare for the draft as many times as they wish and return to school if they don’t hire an agent.
College players have until April 22 to decide whether they want to declare (with or without an agent) as an early entrant for the 2018 NBA Draft. The NBA Combine begins on May 16. Brown can participate in predraft workouts and interviews with teams during that time. He will have until 5 p.m. June 11 to withdraw from the draft process and return to college.
Teammate Kamau Stokes declared for the draft last season without hiring an agent and returned to school. Dean Wade, Xavier Sneed and Stokes could all join Brown by testing the NBA Draft waters this spring. Or they could remain in school without doing so. They have not made their plans known.
K-State coach Bruce Weber said last week he would discuss NBA Draft options with those players. He is in favor of them testing the waters.
“If they want to, that’s fine, to have that opportunity,” Weber said last week. “I have been talking to them. … We will talk about it, and if it’s a good thing, an experience to have the opportunity to see where you are at and it helps them in the long run, it is a good thing.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 7:32 PM with the headline "Kansas State guard Barry Brown declares for NBA Draft without hiring agent."