KU Jayhawks’ Ochai Agbaji declares for NBA Draft. That’s not a final decision, though

Kansas junior guard Ochai Agbaji has declared for the NBA Draft but will remain eligible to come back to KU next year if he desires.

Agbaji, a 6-foot-5 guard from Kansas City, Missouri, led KU in scoring with 14.1 points per game last season while making 38% of his threes.

“I will be keeping my NCAA eligibility throughout this process and look forward to hearing from NBA professionals on ways I can improve my game,” Agbaji said in a release. “This is a great opportunity as I work towards my goal of being a professional basketball player.”

Agbaji earned honorable mention all-Big 12 honors last season as a junior. He’s started in 77 of his career 83 games for KU.

KU coach Bill Self said he and Agbaji had talked a lot about the guard’s basketball future in the previous few weeks. Agbaji will have until July 19 to decide whether to stay in the draft or return to college for his senior year.

“He clearly has a skill set that translates well to the professional game, and the NBA Draft process will be a great opportunity for him to be evaluated,” Self said. “He will sign with an agent, but will continue to follow the guidelines set by the NCAA and NBA to protect his collegiate eligibility.

“Och will be able to gain great insight on what areas he needs to work on which could improve his draft stock. I know that will be beneficial for him this year before he decides whether he should come back or remain in the NBA Draft process.”