Stanford’s breakout freshman star Ebuka Okorie has declared for the NBA Draft, he announced in an Instagram post on Thursday.
Okorie led the ACC in scoring this past season, averaging just over 23 points per game for the Cardinal. He is a projected first-round pick in most mock drafts, but has the potential to climb up to a lottery pick by the time June’s draft rolls around.
The freshman star thanked Stanford in his Instagram post.
“A year ago you guys took a chance on a kid from New Hampshire with zero high major offers, welcoming me with open arms and allowing me to be the best version of myself on and off the court,” Okorie said.
According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Okorie has “two feet in the Draft,” but will return to Stanford if plans change.
Okorie was a four-star recruit coming out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire where he won the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
He immediately made an impact as a scorer, recording four straight 20-plus point games to open the season. Okorie’s breakout game came against North Carolina when he scored 36 points on 20 shots to lead the Cardinal to an upset win. He also scored 40 points in a win over Georgia Tech.
At 6-foot-2, Okorie projects as an explosive scoring guard with the ability to shoot from beyond the arc. He finished the season shooting 35.4% from beyond the arc.
Okorie was eighth in the country in scoring and third among all freshmen. Only BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. – two players projected to be drafted in the Top 10 – scored more points per game than Okorie.
Okorie earned all-ACC first-team honors and was an Associated Press all-American honorable mention.