uconn basketball

UConn's Bouknight to Enter NBA Draft

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

UConn star James Bouknight will forego his final two years with the Huskies and enter the 2021 NBA Draft, he tweeted Wednesday.

"Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine since I was a kid and to be in this position is a dream come true," Bouknight said in the tweeted statement. "Uconn has become my home away from home and I will always BLEED BLUE!!!"

The 6-foot 5-inch guard from Brooklyn, New York, came to UConn in 2019 and appeared in 31 games as a freshman and became the first UConn freshman in nine years to have three straight 20-point games, according to UConn's athletics department.

"First and foremost I'd like to that Coach Hurley and Coach Kimani Young for recruiting me, believing in me and giving me the opportunity to come to UConn and play for this historic program," Bouknight said. "I want to thank the entire UConn Nation for accepting me with open arms and supporting me every step of the way."

He also thanked his teammates and said it was because of them that he got the chance to accomplish his goal of playing in the NCAA tournament. UConn made it to the tournament as a 7-seed and lost to Maryland in the first round.

"It's been an honor to put on the UConn jersey every day. I've grown so much as a player here but more importantly as a person. I will cherish every experience I've had over the past 2 years and I truly believe every one of those experiences has prepared me for success as I move forward in my career," he said.

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