BOSTON — Kentucky junior DeAndre Liggins and freshmen Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight have declared for this year’s NBA Draft, according to a release by the school. None of the three have signed or announced plans to sign with an agent.
The announcement comes one day after freshman Doron Lamb of Queens announced he would remain in school.
Liggins, a 6-foot-6 guard from Chicago, averaged 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to enter my name into the draft, putting me one step closer to realizing my dream,” Liggins said. “Growing up in a tough environment in Chicago, it’s a pleasure to have an opportunity to do something special. This is another challenge I’m looking forward to, to have my game evaluated by pro scouts and see how I rank against some of the top players in the world.”
Jones, a 6-8 forward from Portland, Ore., averaged 15.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. Jones led the league in double-doubles (13) and rebounding, ranked sixth in blocks and seventh in scoring.
He was named the SEC Freshman of the Year by league coaches and SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press.
“Coach Cal and the rest of the staff pushed us all year long and helped us develop every part of our game to help prepare us for this point in our lives,” Jones said. “This will be a great chance for me to measure my skills against some of the best in the country and receive additional information on where I fit into this year’s draft.”
Knight, a 6-3 guard from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., led the team and ranked fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game.
A Freshman All-American, Knight was also named the NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player.
“Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine and this is the next step,” Knight said. “All season long coach has been tutoring me on the fine points of being a point guard, and now I have an opportunity to put my game on display in front of NBA scouts as a result of my hard work.”
“I support the decision these three have made to take advantage of the process of putting their names in the draft,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “They were a joy to coach this year and I would love the opportunity to continue to coach them again next season. I will always support my players in weighing their options and doing what is personally best for them and their families.”
Underclassmen have until April 24 to declare for the draft and have until May 8 to withdraw their name from the draft, provided they do not sign with an agent.
The 2011 NBA Draft will take place on June 23.
(Photo, release courtesy Kentucky Athletics)
