Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, featured a recent issue of Sports Illustrated along with fans of his Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball team, is forgoing his final year of eligibility to enter the NBA Draft.
Image Credit: SOURCE/Sports Illustrated
April 19, 2013 - 6:52 PM
Kelly Olynyk – the college basketball star from Kamloops – announced today he has decided to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility to enter the NBA Draft.
After letting Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few know about his decision this morning, April 19, he let his teammates in on his decision.
The 7'0” basketball player accumulated a number of titles and awards this year, being named All-American by several associations in addition to be named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He average nearly 18 points per game this past season, helping lead the Bulldogs to a 32-3 record. The team lost to Wichita State in the third round of playoffs.
The business student said the decision was a hard one.
“I love this place, I love my teammates, but the NBA has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid so it was something I had to act on,” he told Gonzaga Athletics. “It’s your dream. That’s the highest level and everyone wants to play at the highest level. It will be a journey, but I think it will be a fun one. You have to make sure you are ready to go and you are ready to play. You’re just moving on and you don’t know what’s going to happen up there.”
Few is proud of Olynyk and what he brought to the team, “we are very proud of what Kelly was able to accomplish at Gonzaga both on the court and in the classroom. The fact he was the Academic All-American for all of college basketball is a great example of what he is all about. We wish him all the best in his next challenge.”
Olynyk was recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated alongside Gonzaga fans as the team prepared for the National Collegiate Athletic Association playoffs.
The National Basketball Association Draft will take place June 27.
To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 819-3723.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013