Kansas basketball guard Ochai Agbaji has withdrawn from the 2021 NBA Draft and will be returning for his senior year, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
The move comes after teammate Jalen Wilson recently pulled his name from the draft, planning to play his redshirt sophomore season with the Jayhawks.
Adding these two back onto the roster is a massive win for head coach Bill Self, giving his team two experienced players with plenty of potential to make a splash this season.
Considering the offseason additions of transfers Remy Martin and Jalen Coleman-Lands, there will be quite a bit of talent available on this Kansas team.
KU LOADED w/really good college players:
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) July 6, 2021
PG: Remy Martin, Dajuan Harris, Joseph Yesufu (combo)
Wings: Ochai Agbaji, Jalen Wilson, Christian Braun, Jalen Coleman-Lands
Bigs: David McCormack, Mitch Lightfoot, Cam Martin
Frosh: C Zach Clemence, PF K.J. Adams, PG Bobby Pettiford
With Ochai back in the lineup, Arizona State transfer Remy Martin is the only potential Jayhawk left in the NBA Draft. However, with Ochai’s recent move, Martin could be more convinced to return to this exciting new roster in Lawrence.
For the longest time, Agbaji’s intentions were a mystery. It was very uncertain about whether or not he’d return, and it seemed that he was nearly gone. After his combine performance, the story changed. His numbers weren’t the best, which likely prompted him to weigh his options a little bit more.
Now, he’ll get another year at Kansas to showcase both leadership and development, which will do wonders for his draft stock. It also gives the Jayhawks a talented guard to lean on, who shouldn’t be taken for granted either.
Getting Agbaji back on this roster is a game-changer for Kansas, and could very well turn them into a national-title contending team. The talent is there, and it will be an excellent environment for bringing up the underclassmen.