Arkansas guard JD Notae declares for NBA Draft, will hire agent

[autotag]JD Notae[/autotag], the Arkansas guard who won All-American honors and led the the Razorbacks to the Elite Eight, has declared for the NBA draft.

“The past three years at Arkansas have been the best of my life and I wouldn’t trade the memories I’ve made for anything, and Fayetteville will always hold a special place in my heart,” Notae wrote on Instagram. “I’ve dreamt about playing professional basketball since I was young and after careful consideration I have decided to sign with an agent and enter my name in the 2022 NBA Draft.”

Notae averaged 18.3 points, second most in the SEC. He had one more year of eligibility remaining because of the COVID-19 super-senior qualification, but the hiring of an agent means he cannot return to Arkansas.

Notae played two seasons with the Razorbacks after starting his career at Jacksonville. He was Arkansas’ sixth-man in 2020-21 when the Hogs went to the Elite Eight. After the team lost a bulk of its regulars, Notae stepped into the starting lineup in 2021-22.

“His growth in his game has been remarkable on both sides of the basketball,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said. “He and I are connected on — I don’t have to say words sometimes to him. He kind of reads my mind, but he has had two really phenomenal years, and he had a phenomenal sit-out year too. He has a personality where everybody on the team likes him, and when you have a leading scorer and everybody likes you, it talks about his personality and how connected he is to the guys.”