LSU Guard Javonte Smart Declaring for 2020 NBA Draft, Will Keep NCAA Eligibility

The final domino from LSU’s 2019 basketball team fell Monday when sophomore guard Javonte Smart announced he’d be declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft.

Smart will retain his NCAA eligibility throughout the draft process according to his post, allowing him to return to school if he believes his draft stock is too low.

#LSU guard Javonte Smart is declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. He will keep his NCAA eligibility open throughout the draft process pic.twitter.com/eBaRaWeql2
— Glen West (@glenwest21) April 27, 2020

“To all my LSU coaches, teammates and fans, thank you for allowing to be a part of something great,” Smart wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for pushing me and keeping me motivated on and off the court.

“We are all going through a difficult time with this pandemic. I pray that everyone stays safe during this time.”

Smart joins teammates Emmitt Williams, Trendon Watford and Darius Days in the 2020 draft, with Watford and Days electing to keep their NCAA eligibility as well. LSU guard Charles Manning is the only underclassman that’s decided to return to school at this time.

As a sophomore, Smart averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the floor in 31 games. He led the SEC in conference play in assist to turnover ratio as his decision making improved throughout the course of the year.

“For him to step in and have the best assist to turnover ratio in the SEC and SEC play he just played lights out. Very, very pleased with his overall play,” Wade told 247Sports in March.

The loss of Smart, Days and Watford would hurt LSU from an experience perspective but coach Will Wade believes he’ll have a very good team in 2020. The Tigers have the No. 5 recruiting class coming to town.

"I feel like we're going to have our best team since we've been here. I feel good about the [recruiting class] we've got, I feel good about what we're going to have coming back," Wade said on the "Boot Up" podcast last week. We have a good mix of experience and talented, talented newcomers. And so I think we've got a chance, if we close this [class] out right, to have one of our best teams here."