LSU Basketball Forward Trendon Watford Declares for 2021 NBA Draft
It was a miracle that LSU was able to land Trendon Watford for a second season and on Wednesday, the sophomore forward made it official, announcing his intent to enter the 2021 NBA Draft. Watford will hire an agent, ending his time in Baton Rouge after two seasons.
In two seasons with the Tigers, Watford held career averages of 14.9 points per game and 7.3 rebounds on 48.4% shooting from the field. He was named to the All-SEC freshman team in 2020 and was a first-team All-SEC forward for the 2021 season for the Tigers.
"It's been an honor to wear the purple and gold. These past two years have been a complete joy," Watford wrote. "To the fans and city of Baton Rouge, I appreciate the love and support you all have shown me from the day I stepped on campus."
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Watford's biggest moment as a Tiger came in the SEC tournament championship this past season, where he helped lead a second half comeback against the Crimson Tide that almost won LSU the tournament title. Watford finished with a career high 30 points and eight rebounds in the loss.
Watford initially declared for the draft after his freshman season but kept the option of returning to school open. It's widely believed that Cam Thomas, Darius Days and Javonte Smart will all move on to the NBA after successful careers with the Tigers. The four combined for 1,897 points of LSU's 2,371 points from the 2021 season.
"We're certainly going to lose some very, very good players. We've got some talented young kids in the program that we feel really good about," Wade said after the NCAA tournament loss to Michigan.
