Arizona sophomore forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will leave this spring for the NBA draft as expected.
Hollis-Jefferson and UA coach Sean Miller held a news conference at McKale Center this afternoon to confirm the sophomore’s decision.
"The love you guys have shown me has been overwhelming," Hollis-Jefferson said in a statement to UA fans that he delivered with emotion.
"I've never seen him this serious," Miller said with a smile, later adding: "He did everything we wanted him to and it's very obvious that he has a good chance to be a first-round pick and his stock can only soar as they (NBA officials) get to know him."
Hollis-Jefferson, who signed with Excel Sports Management and is planning to leave Tucson next week while finishing coursework electronically, is projected as a mid- to late-first round pick in the June NBA draft. Hollis-Jefferson is listed at No. 23 in Draft Express’ mock draft and No. 29 by NBAdraft.net. ESPN lists him as the No. 26 top prospect in the 2015 draft.
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Hollis-Jefferson averaged 11.2 points a game and was the Wildcats’ leading rebounder with 6.8 per game, while becoming Arizona’s defensive stopper on the perimeter. He was a first-team all-Pac-12 pick and was named to the conference’s five-player all-defensive team.
Arizona is still awaiting decisions on whether it will also lose forward Stanley Johnson, forward Brandon Ashley and center Kaleb Tarczewski to professional basketball.
Miller said Ashley is probably the closest to finalizing his decision and may do so in the next few days. Ashley and Johnson have been expected to leave while Tarczewski's future appears more uncertain.
Here's the text of the prepared statement Hollis-Jefferson read before he answered questions:
"I would just like to say thank you to the city of Tucson and our great fans for everything over the last two years. The love you guys have shown me has been overwhelming. It’s not every day a kid where I’m from gets an opportunity like this and I’m just trying to embrace it.
"With that being said I’ve decided to enter my name in the 2015 NBA draft. After talking with my family and coach Miller, I’ve weighed the pros and cons. I fully believe this is the right choice. I’m excited for the challenges that lie ahead. With the knowledge that God rewards hard work, I plan to attack them.
"I want to thank my family and my teammates and coaches at Arizona and all of the UA fans and everyone else who has supported me. This wouldn't be possible without you and I look forward to making all of you proud in the years to come."
