Tennessee junior point guard Jordan Bone has declared for the 2019 NBA Draft according to his Twitter account, choosing to forgo his senior season.
Players can declare for the draft and still remain eligible to return to school. Bone has done that and has left the door open to come back to Tennessee, but according to an interview with 247Sports, he intends on remaining in the draft.
“Well you know that there is always a chance that I come back but honestly if I put myself in a position to go then I’m going all in,” Bone told Evan Daniels of 247Sports. “I feel like I have proven myself to be one of the better point guards in the country.
“It’s a once in a lifetime chance, and not many people can say that they’re in the position. I’m extremely blessed to be in my position but if the opportunity is there to take then I’m going to take it.”
Bone declares for the 2019 NBA Draft following a junior season in which he really came into his own. This season, the Nashville, Tennessee native averaged 13.5 points per game, 5.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. Bone shot 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from three as he helped guide the Vols to a 31-6 record.
This season, Bone finished the the third-most assists in a single season (215) in school history, and his 2.91 assist-to-turnover ratio this season set the school record for best ratio in a single season.
During the course of his career, the 6-foot-3 point guard started 87 of the 95 games he played in and averaged 9.7 points. Bone averaged 4.3 assists and shot 42 percent from the field while shooting 35 percent from three.
“You’re incredible support this season meant the absolute world to me and my teammates,” Bone said of Vol fans in a video posted to his Twitter account. “It was a very special year, and you played a major role in making it so much fun.
“Wearing the Tennessee uniform is an incredible honor and something I honestly cherish.”
Though Bone did declare for the NBA draft with the intention of remaining in the draft, he didn’t completely shut the door on returning to school. As NBA evaluators provide him with valuable feedback, he’ll look to his family, teammates, and coaches to help him through this process.
“I plan to make the most of this opportunity and use the experience and feedback to make the most informed decision possible about my basketball future,” Bone said. “I’m going to lean on my family as well as Coach Barnes and this staff here at Tennessee through these next steps.
“We’re all in this together. I know I’ll have the support of Tennessee fans everywhere as we were through this process. Go Vols and God Bless.”
You can view Bone’s full video here:
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— Jordan Bone (@JordanBone23) April 3, 2019
Last year, Admiral Schofield declared for the NBA Draft on March 29th and went through a similar process. He worked out with teams and got evaluations back from them and scouts. Exactly two months later on May 29th, Schofield announced he was returning for his senior season.
This year, the NBA draft early entry deadline is April 21st, and the deadline to withdraw a player’s name from consideration is June 10th. The 2019 NBA Draft is on June 20th.
