Adams enters NBA draft, keeps eligibility for now

UCF freshman forward Isaiah Adams plans to enter the 2021 NBA draft process without an agent so he can maintain his college eligibility.

“After spending time speaking with my family and coaches, I have decided to enter my name into the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining my eligibility,” Adams said in a statement posted on his Instagram account Wednesday. “Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine. I hope to learn a lot through this process and I thank Knight Nation for all of their support. Charge On!”

Adams averaged 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a true freshman for the Knights. He started 12 games and appeared in 22 of the team’s 23 games this season.

UCF wound up 11-12 after winning five of its final six games.

The Jacksonville native became the first Florida Mr. Basketball to play for UCF when he signed as part of its 2020 recruiting class. He led Paxon School for Advanced Studies to back-to-back state semifinal appearances his junior and senior seasons while averaging 23.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in 2019.

Adams finished the season ranked sixth in the American Athletic Conference in field-goal percentage after shooting 46.6% from the field this season. He ranked 12th in the league in steals after averaging 1.3 steals per game.

Players can enter the draft and maintain college eligibility if they don’t sign with an agent. The NBA announced the withdrawal deadline for players is July 19, but the NCAA has yet to announce its withdrawal date. The draft is scheduled for July 29.