Duke’s Jalen Johnson Opts Out, Eyes NBA Draft
Duke freshman and projected lottery pick Jalen Johnson is opting out of the rest of the season and will declare for the NBA draft, according to the school.
Johnson, the No. 13 prospects in the ESPN 100 last season, has had an up-and-down season with the Blue Devils. He opened his career with 19 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists against Coppin State but suffered a foot injury a couple of weeks later and missed three games. After returning to the starting lineup, Johnson has come off the bench for the past three games. He played a combined 23 minutes the past two games, scoring just three points in eight minutes against NC State this past weekend.
"I appreciate everything about my time at Duke," Johnson said in a Duke news release Monday night. "Coach (Mike Krzyzewski), my teammates and the program have been nothing but supportive throughout this season, especially during the rehab of my foot injury. My family, coach and I have made the decision that I should not play the remainder of this season so I can be 100 percent healthy in preparation for the NBA Draft."
ESPN has Johnson ranked No. 6 in its NBA draft rankings, the No. 1 small forward in the class.