Virginia Forward Ryan Dunn Declares for 2024 NBA Draft
Virginia sophomore forward Ryan Dunn has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft. Dunn made the announcement in a social media post on Tuesday morning. In his message, he did not indicate that he is maintaining his college eligibility, so it appears that Dunn is not considering a return to school next year.
"Dear Wahoo nation, I want to thank you for welcoming me into Charlottesville with open arms from day one," Dunn said in the post. "You have made my time here at UVA special, there is no place like playing in JPJ. I want to thank Coach Bennett, as well as the entire coaching staff for believing in me and taking a chance on me! To my teammates, suiting up with you guys has been something that I will cherish forever, you will always be my brothers."
A 6'8", 216-pound forward out of Freeport, New York, Dunn started all 34 games as a sophomore this season and averaged 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. Dunn, who led the ACC in blocks this season, finished runner-up to UVA teammate Reece Beekman in the voting for ACC Defensive Player of the Year and joined Beekman on the ACC All-Defensive Team while also garnering an All-ACC Honorable Mention.
Although his offensive numbers and his overall game on that end of the floor is extremely limited, shooting 20.0% from three and 53.2% from the free throw line this season, many NBA draft experts see Dunn as a prospect with huge upside due to his size, athleticism, and defensive prowess. ESPN has Dunn listed as the No. 31 overall prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft and many mock drafts agree that he is currently on the border between a late first and early second round draft pick.
Dunn seems to have confirmed that he has closed the door on a return to Virginia in a quote to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. "I had an amazing two years at UVA," Dunn said. "I'm focused on the next step in my life now. I got really good feedback from the NBA and am ready for the next level. I am all-in."
The next step for Dunn in the draft process will be to participate in the the NBA Combine, which will take place from May 13-19 in Chicago. Invites for the combine should go out sometime in the next few weeks and Dunn should be expected to receive one. The 2024 NBA Draft will take place on June 26th and 27th in Brooklyn. The first round will be on Wednesday the 26th at Barclays Center while the second round will be held on Thursday the 27th at ESPN's Seaport District Studios in New York.
With Dunn declaring for the NBA Draft, Virginia has three open scholarship spots for the 2024-2025 season.
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