BREAKING: Williams to test NBA Draft waters
College students, get a year of HawgBeat coverage for just $11.95! Request details via email from your school account (.edu) to andrewhutchinson413 (at) gmail (dot) com.
FAYETTEVILLE -- Jaylin Williams will test the professional waters, he announced Monday.
Arkansas' star big man has decided to go through the 2022 NBA Draft process, but will not hire an agent so he can keep his collegiate eligibility intact.
"I look forward to learning from the upcoming process, going through the interviews, gathering feedback and building relationships with NBA coaches and front office personnel," Williams said in a statement released through the UA. “My gratitude to Coach Musselman and the staff goes beyond words for helping me be in this position.
"I will keep all my options open and, after going through the process and talking with my family, my support group and the Arkansas coaching staff, I will make an informed decision when the appropriate time comes.”
Thanks to relatively recent rule changes by the NCAA and NBA, college basketball players are allowed to meet with teams and even participate in the draft combine -- which is scheduled for May 16-22 -- without losing their eligibility.
The only requirement is that they either don't sign with an agent, as Williams is doing, or sign with one of a handful of NCAA-approved agents.
April 24 is the deadline for underclassmen to apply for early entry to the NBA Draft, so Williams is making his decision well in advance of that. Now he has until June 1 to withdraw from the draft and be able to return to the Razorbacks.
In recent years, Isaiah Joe went through the process and withdrew his name, only to change his mind late in the process and ultimately enter the draft following his sophomore season.
Head coach Eric Musselman is no stranger to this process, either. Before going through it with Joe, he experienced the other side of the rule at Nevada when the Martin twins - Caleb and Cody - went through the process before returning for another season with the Wolf Pack.
Arkansas would certainly benefit from a third season with Williams, who is coming off a sophomore year in which he earned first-team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors.
He averaged 10.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks, plus notched 16 double-doubles in the Razorbacks' final 23 games. He also shattered the UA single-season record with 364 rebounds and led the NCAA with 54 charges drawn.
Two Razorbacks have now declared for the 2022 NBA Draft in as many days. Williams' decision comes a day after JD Notae announced he was hiring an agent and not returning for a super senior season. They now await a decision from Au’Diese Toney, who could potentially play as a super senior next year.
Click here for an updated look at Arkansas' roster for the 2022-23 season.