UConn men’s basketball: James Bouknight declares for NBA Draft

James Bouknight’s UConn career is officially over. The sophomore guard will declare for the NBA Draft and hire an agent, forgoing his final two years of eligibility.

With his incredible athleticism and scoring ability, Bouknight is projected to be a lottery pick (the top 14) in most mock drafts. He averaged 15.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 43 career games at UConn while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor.

“The opportunity to play at the highest level of basketball has always been a dream of mine, and it’s an opportunity that I can’t pass up right now,” Bouknight told ESPN. “I feel like the pro game, with more open space on the floor, is ideal for my game.”

After a strong freshman campaign, Bouknight became the Huskies’ go-to player as a sophomore with 18.7 points per game — including a 40 point day against Creighton, second-most by a UConn player in Big East play — though he missed eight contests with an elbow injury in the middle of the season.

Bouknight will be the first UConn player taken in the NBA Draft since Daniel Hamilton in 2016 and should be the first Husky taken in the lottery since Andre Drummond (ninth overall) and Jeremy Lamb (13th overall) in 2012.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on June 22 while the draft itself will take place on July 29.