Auburn has not had a player selected in the NBA Draft since 2001, when the Indiana Pacers selected Jamison Brewer.
Auburn will look to snap that skid this summer, and its chances may have improved greatly Tuesday morning.
Auburn sophomore forward Austin Wiley announced on Twitter that he has declared for the 2018 NBA Draft.
Like his teammate Jared Harper, Wiley will not sign an agent, which allows him to potentially return to Auburn prior to the draft.
“First off I would like to thank God, my family, teammates, my coaches and everybody that has helped me get to this moment,” Wiley wrote. “Being in the NBA has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I would like to announce that I will enter my name into the 2018 NBA Draft.
“I will not sign with an agent to keep my NCAA eligibility. Lastly I would like to thank the Auburn family for all of the support! War Eagle.”
Wiley, who graduated a semester early from Spain Park High School to play at Auburn, scored 8.8 points per game and averaged 4.7 rebounds per game in 23 games his freshman season.
Austin is in a great spot to improve his draft position. He has worked hard, is stronger and faster then all power forwards in the draft and is a great teammate. It’s a Win-win https://t.co/kEnmro24u8
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) April 11, 2018
Wiley, along with Danjel Purifoy, was suspended all of the 2017-18 season because of alleged actions with former Auburn associate head coach Chuck Person.
“In spite of all that we went through this season, Austin is still in a great position to accomplish all of his goals,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “I think as much as any player in the country who is testing the waters, Austin has the greatest chance to move up in the draft. He’s in great physical condition and has worked extremely hard. He will be impressive at the Combine.”
Following his freshman season, the 6-foot-11 forward was a surefire draft pick. However, recent mock drafts vary on where Wiley will be drafted.
Wiley is the third Auburn player to declare for the draft, joining Harper and Mustapha Heron.
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