Following Georgia Tech’s defeat in the first round of the ACC Tournament, guard Josh Okogie sounded very much like someone who intends to return for his junior season. But, when asked directly, he left himself some room for the possibility of at least testing the waters for a jump to the NBA.
“I really haven’t even thought about any of that,” Okogie said. “Obviously, it’s been a question up in the air, but now that the season’s over, I’ll talk to my parents, to my coaches, see what’s best for me.”
Okogie earned third-team All-ACC honors and ranked fourth in scoring in conference games at 18.3 points per game. He also demonstrated touch from the perimeter and an all-court game.
There does not seem to be great sentiment for Okogie to enter the draft, and other comments made by Okogie suggest that, at the least, he is leaning toward staying.
Asked about playing time next season, he responded, “I’m just going to be ready to do whatever they need me to do. If they need me to play 40, I’ll do it. If they need me to play 20, I’ll do it.”
He said he was anticipating point guard Jose Alvarado, who missed the final seven games of the season with an elbow fracture, to be hungry for his sophomore season.
“And that’s the kind of fuel we’re going to need this summer once we start working out and trying to get better,” Okogie said.
As long as he doesn’t hire an agent, Okogie could participate in workouts for NBA teams and gather feedback on his draft stock without losing his college eligibility. He would have until June 11 to make a decision on staying in school or turning professional.
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