Now here’s a decision from within the Oklahoma basketball program that nobody is shocked about and everybody is happy to see.
Senior guard Austin Reaves told ESPN on Wednesday morning he will not come back for another season and will enter the NBA Draft.
Reaves had the option to return to school because of the COVID-19 eligibility changes allowing seniors to come back for one more year.
Reaves, though, didn’t need to go that route.
“I have decided to declare for the NBA draft and will be hiring an agent in the near future," Reaves told ESPN. “My family and I believe this is the best decision for my future and I'm super excited for the next part of my journey.”
Reaves’ journey in Norman was an interesting one. Coming to OU after transferring from Wichita State, Reaves was known as a standout 3-point shooter.
He ends his career at OU being known as a formidable point guard, who can do a little bit of everything and has been shooting up NBA Draft boards.
Whatever OU needed, Reaves was there to do in the last two seasons. After a strong end to the 2019-20 season, Reaves went to another level as a senior.
He led the team in points (18.3 per game), rebounds (5.5) and assists (4.6), helping the Sooners to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
In his final game, the loss to No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga, it was a bit of a showcase event for Reaves. Playing against a bunch of future NBA players on the Bulldogs, Reaves was tremendous with 27 points.
“People are inquiring a lot about Austin,” said former OU head coach Lon Kruger after that game. “Obviously, they've watched his career. They know he's got a special skill set. He's a big point guard in terms of size, can score, can distribute.
“Yea, he's definitely going to play somewhere, and hopefully it's the NBA. But yea, he's a guy that people are always asking about.”
Add Reaves to the list of major moves from within the program in the last month. Last week Kruger announced his retirement, while sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon said he intends to enter the NBA Draft as well.
This week, assistant coach Carlin Hartman announced he will take an assistant coaching position under Kevin Kruger at UNLV and now Reaves.
There were rumors last week of Reaves perhaps opting for the transfer portal. As more and more scouts broke down what he did vs. Gonzaga and throughout the course of the season, though, the narrative changed.
Safe to say, the transfer call was a good one.
“My career has been really good,” said Reaves following the Gonzaga performance. “Coming out of high school nobody knew who I was, and now I'd say that people probably know who I am now. So it's a big thing. Coming to OU was a big decision, as well. It was a really good decision, as well.
“I've just really got to give thanks to Coach Krug and the coaching staff and all the guys. They welcomed me with open arms, and like I said, I've had a really good time.”
