Former Creighton forward Arthur Kaluma is withdrawing his name from the NBA draft and returning to college, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
Kaluma entered the transfer portal earlier this month and now becomes arguably the best available frontcourt prospect in the portal. Alabama, Texas, Texas Tech and Kentucky are among the schools showing interest in Kaluma, sources said.
A 6-foot-8 forward from Arizona who has represented Uganda internationally in multiple tournaments, Kaluma was ranked in the top 100 of ESPN’s NBA draft rankings and attended the NBA draft combine. He also met with and worked out for seven NBA teams.
Kaluma improved his numbers across the board this past season at Creighton, averaging 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds and shooting 31.1% from 3-point range after putting up 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman. He scored in double figures in all four of the Bluejays’ NCAA tournament games, including a first-round win vs. NC State in which he had 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
He’s been at his best in the postseason, getting 24 points and 12 rebounds vs. Kansas in the second round of the 2022 NCAA tournament in what perhaps was the best performance of his career thus far.