By RYAN McMULLEN
St. John’s star Shamorie Ponds officially declared for the NBA Draft and will be hiring an agent, he announced on Thursday night on Instagram.
Ponds had an outstanding career under Chris Mullin and staff. This season he averaged 19.7 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. This past season, Ponds led the Red Storm to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015 and scored a team-high 25 points in the Johnnies’ opening round loss to Arizona State in Dayton.
According to ESPN, Ponds is the projected No. 46 pick in the Draft. He tested the NBA Draft waters but opted to return to campus for his junior year
“Playing for St. John’s has been nothing but amazing for me,” said Ponds. “Coming to St. John’s was one of the best decisions of my life. After speaking it over with my loved ones, I want to announce that I will be entering the 2019 NBA Draft and hiring an agent.”
The Brooklyn native will end his collegiate career as the program’s fifth leading scorer all-time, pouring in 1,870 points during three years at the University. No other player in St. John’s history tallied more points during a three-year tenure.
“We fully support Shamorie’s decision to pursue his professional goals,” Mullin said. “Shamorie enjoyed one of the greatest careers in the history of our basketball program. It has been a true honor to coach him for the past three years and to watch him develop as a player and a person. We wish Shamorie nothing but the best as he chases his dreams.”
A two-time First Team All-Big East selection, Ponds owns the St. John’s freshman and sophomore scoring records and is one of just four players in program history to score 600 or more points in multiple seasons.
.@StJohnsBBall star @ShamorieP declares for the NBA Draft. Had a great career there. pic.twitter.com/WWkD344aBa
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 29, 2019
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