Arizona freshman Stanley Johnson declares for NBA draft
Arizona Wildcats freshman Stanley Johnson will enter the NBA draft, he announced Thursday.
SI.com's Chris Mannix ranked Johnson fifth on his NBA Big Board last month.
"Johnson rallied from some pedestrian performances in January to put up strong numbers in the Pac-12 tournament," Mannix wrote. "Defense continues to be his calling card; his physique reminds some scouts of Ron Artest. But Johnson was also surprisingly solid from the perimeter (36.6%) and showcased a knack for getting to the free throw line (5.0 attempts per game)."
• Complete list of early NBA draft entrants
Johnson, a 6'7" small forward, was the Pac-12's Freshman of the Year and a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection. He was the consensus No. 3 high school recruit in his class behind Duke's Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay, who committed to SMU but opted to play professionally in China instead.
Johnson's Wildcats teammate, sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson declared for the draft earlier this month. Arizona junior center Kaleb Tarczewski, a projected second-round pick, will return to school.
- Dan Gartland
