NCAA News Wire
Kentucky’s Poythress will return for junior season
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Kentucky sophomore forward Alex Poythress will return for his junior season, the school announced Wednesday.
“Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine, but I want to make sure that I’m NBA-ready before I make that jump,” Poythress said in a statement. “By coming back, I’ll be so much closer to earning my degree in business and it will give me another year to prepare my game and my body for the next level.”
The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 5.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in helping the Wildcats to the NCAA title game. He shot better than 68 percent from the field in the NCAA Tournament, including an eight-point, seven-rebound performance in the Final Four against Wisconsin.
He was considered by NBA executives as a likely second-round pick had he entered the June 26 draft.
“I’m excited for Alex and the decision he’s arrived at,” head coach John Calipari said. “I’m proud of the work he committed to this past season, on and off the floor, and think he’s ready to take that next step and lead this team next season.”
Kentucky now has three legitimate NBA prospects for next season. Fellow sophomore forward Willie Cauley-Stein and freshman forward Marcus Lee announced their intentions to return last week.
Freshman forward Julius Randle and freshman guard/forward James Young have announced they are leaving for the NBA Draft.
Kentucky is still waiting on formal decisions from freshman guards Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison and freshman center Dakari Johnson.
