Potential second round pick Ochai Agbaji will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to Kansas for his senior season, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.
The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility is Wednesday.
Agbaji, a 6-foot-6 wing, was named All-Big 12 honorable mention for each of the past two years, averaging 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 34 minutes per game, shooting 37% from 3-point range last season.
His return is a major boon to the Jayhawks, as he projects to be their best defender and a major offensive cog for the team currently projected as the No. 4 ranked team in Jeff Borzello’s Way-Too-Early Top-25.
Kansas also returns Jalen Wilson from the NBA draft as well as David McCormack and Christian Braun from last season’s starting five. They added two-time first-team All-Pac 12 performer Remy Martin from Arizona State via the transfer portal as well as veterans Joseph Yesufu from Drake and Jalen Coleman-Lands from Iowa State.
Agbaji, the No. 67 prospect in the ESPN 100, will go into next season as a potential first round pick and Big 12 player of the year candidate. He is one of the best defenders in the college game, standing 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and a strong 214 pound frame. He improved his perimeter shooting and could very well make another jump next season, as he turned 21 years old in April and has been on an upward trajectory in each of the past three years.