After a strong finish to his sophomore season, Georgia Tech guard Miles Kelly decided to test his NBA draft candidacy while still leaving himself the opportunity to return for his junior season.
Kelly, who led the Yellow Jackets in scoring this past season and closed it on a hot streak, announced via social media his declaration to enter the draft while maintaining his college eligibility.
“I’m blessed and excited for this opportunity,” Kelly wrote in a statement in which he thanked God, his family, former Tech coach Josh Pastner and his staff, his teammates and the entire Tech community for their support.
This season, his first as a starter, Kelly averaged 14.4 points per game while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range. In the final eight games of Tech’s season, he averaged 19.8 points per game while making 35 of 79 3-point tries (44.3%). He did not receive All-ACC recognition.
For Kelly, who attended Parkview High for three years before transferring to Hargrave Military Academy, it is a no-lose proposition, as he is free to return to Tech so long as he does so by the NCAA’s May 31 deadline for early-entry withdrawal, which follows the NBA draft combine. Former Tech guard Michael Devoe went that route after the 2020-21 season, returning for his senior season after testing the draft waters.
But, while Kelly would seem an under-the-radar prospect, it’s conceivable that he could impress teams enough to stay in the draft and get selected in the two-round, 60-player draft. Former Tech guard Josh Okogie had that experience in 2018, moving up from a possible second-round pick to the 20th overall selection.
The deadline for players with eligibility remaining to declare for the draft is April 23.
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