Shortly before Wednesday night’s deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft, Kansas’ Johnny Furphy announced that he instead plans to remain in the draft and pursue a professional career.
“Playing in the NBA has always been a lifetime goal of mine,” Furphy wrote in a statement on social media. “With that, I’ve decided that now is the time to pursue that dream.”
Furphy, a native of Melbourne, Australia, had been fairly lightly recruited out of the Australian Centre of Excellence until his performance at the NBA Academy Games last July put him on the radar of marquee programs, including KU.
After committing in August, he averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman for the Jayhawks during the 2023-24 season, bursting onto the scene early in conference play and entering KU’s starting lineup for the season’s stretch run.
He declared for the draft on April 16 and participated in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago earlier in May.
On May 6, KU coach Bill Self said of Furphy in an interview with the NCAA’s Andy Katz, “Chances are I think that he’ll probably stay in the draft, because I think he’ll go in the first round.”
On Wednesday, Self said in a statement released by KU, “We understand and support Johnny’s decision.”
“We appreciate his contributions in the year that we had him,” Self said. “He has matured and accelerated at a very quick pace during the past year … We should all be excited for him and look forward to following his progress as an NBA player.”
Most mock drafts have him as a late-first-round selection.
“I can’t say thank you enough to Coach Self, the entire coaching staff, and every single person associated with our basketball program,” Furphy wrote. “I have the most amazing teammates I could have ever asked for and I want to wish them the best of luck going forward. And to Jayhawk Nation, thank you for being the greatest fan base in the world.”
