By JACOB POLACHECK
Auburn freshman forward J.T. Thor will test the NBA Draft waters and go through the NBA’s evalaution process, he announced Tuesday in a press release.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank Coach [Bruce] Pearl and the entire coaching staff here at Auburn for accepting me with open arms both on and off the court,” Thor said. “Being here has taught me to value hard work and doing things the right way, the Auburn way. I’d also like to thank my teammates for an amazing season. We had our ups and downs, but through it all, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“With that being said, I would like to announce that I will be entering the 2021 NBA Draft with the option to return to school. Playing in the NBA has always been my dream and I feel that my time is now. My dream has never been so close, and I look forward to this next chapter with confidence and determination.”
Thor, a 6-foot-10, 205-pound forward out of Anchorage, AK, averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals in 27 games during the 2020-21 season.
By testing the waters, Thor can sign with an NCAA-certified agent, receive feedback and still return to school.
“JT has a great future ahead of him,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “He’s a hard worker, he’s got great versatility and he showed the potential he has on both ends of the floor this past season. We’re going to support him as he goes through this process and receives valuable feedback. We’re going to work really hard to see that he gets the best opportunity, whether that is keeping his name in the draft or coming back to Auburn.”
Photo: Auburn Athletics
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