Oklahoma Freshman Trae Young Will Enter NBA Draft

Trae Young, the super Oklahoma Sooner freshman guard, told ESPN on March 20th that he will be leaving the school to enter this summer’s NBA draft.

No surprise here. Young led the nation’s Division I schools in both scoring (27.4 points per game) and assists (8.7 per game). With young in the backcourt this season, the Sooners improved from 11-20 in the 2016-17 season to 18-13 and a NCAA Tournament bid. The Sooners lost their first round game to Rhode Island 83-78 in overtime, with Young leading all scorers with 28 points.

As defenses adjusted to Young, the Sooners went into a late season tailspin, showing just how much he carried the team. No doubt Young should go early in the draft, but may not be the overall #1 pick. It’s three months until the draft, but Duke freshman forward Marvin Bagley III (21.2 points per game, 11.3 rebounds per game) is seen by some of the prognosticators as the top pick in the draft.

Here’s Young in action in Oklahoma’s 85-80 win over Kansas on January 23rd: