UCLA sophomore guard Kyle Anderson and freshman guard Zach LaVine both officially declared for the NBA Draft on Wednesday.
Anderson’s plans to head to the NBA were previously reported by SNY.tv.
One veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv Anderson is “potentially” a lottery pick, while LaVine is considered “late first.”
DraftExpress.com has the 6-foot-9 Anderson at No. 17 on its Mock Draft, and the 6-5 LaVine at No. 28.
A former star at St. Anthony and Paterson Catholic in New Jersey, Anderson secured first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was named a third-team Associated Press All-America selection as a sophomore in 2013-14. He averaged closer to a triple-double than any player in the nation, registering 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Anderson helped lead UCLA to a 28-9 overall record and the program’s first Pac-12 Tournament title and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance since 2008.
“I want to thank everyone at UCLA for all they have done for me,” Anderson said. “My two years at UCLA were two of the best years of my life. It was a tough decision to make with my family since our last game, but I have decided to enter my name into the NBA Draft. I will still continue to embrace the UCLA community, and I hope they will do the same with me.
“I would also like to thank Coach [Steve] Alford for everything he has done for both the team and me this year in so little time. Coach Alford worked hard at getting to know all of us from the outset and created a family atmosphere that was fun to be a part of. He helped me develop as a leader on and off the court, and I appreciate him giving me every opportunity to succeed.”
Anderson became the first player in Pac-12 history to record at least 200 rebounds and 200 assists in the same season. He finished his sophomore year having logged 527 points, 315 rebounds and 233 assists, becoming the fourth player in school history to have logged at least one triple-double. Anderson’s total of 233 assists ranks third on the school’s single-season list.
“We are all very happy for Kyle, who has a terrific opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” Alford said. “I know I speak for all of our coaches and players when I say his efforts here at UCLA were greatly appreciated. I’ve said time and again that Kyle was the best point guard in the country this past season. He had a tremendous year, helping lead us to the Sweet 16 and a Pac-12 Tournament championship. I firmly believe Kyle will have a long and productive NBA career and everyone involved with UCLA basketball wishes him the best.”
LaVine captured Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors in 2013-14, helping lead UCLA to a 28-9 overall record and the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance and Pac-12 Tournament title since 2008. The 6-foot-5 guard from Seattle averaged 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for the Bruins.
“I am excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft,” LaVine said. “I first and foremost want to thank my family for all their support in helping me through this journey to achieve my dream of playing in the NBA. I also want to thank my coaches, UCLA, my teammates and all of the fans. I will forever be proud to call myself a Bruin and will never forget the memories that were made here. I truly can’t wait for this next chapter in my life, and again thank everyone for all their support.”
LaVine shot 44.1 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range for the Bruins, playing in all 37 games. LaVine’s 48 three-point field goals are the second-most by any freshman in school history. He ranked fourth among all Pac-12 freshmen in scoring and three-point field goal percentage.
“It has been exciting to see Zach develop from the time he first set foot on campus at UCLA to where he is today,” Alford said. “Zach has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential and has an extremely bright future ahead of him. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow both as a basketball player and person this past year, and I look forward to watching Zach play in the NBA for many years to come.”
