Pepperdine Waves sophomore Maxwell Lewis on Monday said he will forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and remain in the 2023 NBA draft after a career year.
Lewis announced last week on social media that he would declare for the draft. He did not state in that announcement whether he’d keep the option to return to school, but he made his intentions clear in an interview with Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
“I’m going all-in and forgoing my college eligibility,” Lewis said.
He was named to the All-West Coast Conference second team after averaging 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 46.8% shooting from the field in 31 games. He finished sixth in the conference in scoring and seventh in field-goal percentage.
The 6-foot-7 forward dazzled as a scorer throughout the season. He was ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring earlier this year and put up a season-high 30 points twice. He has good size at his position as a wing and is a great rebounder.
Lewis is projected to be a first-round pick this year. He is slotted by most mock drafts to go in the 12-20 range given his skills and ability to score. He would be the first player from the program to be drafted in the first round since Brandon Armstrong in 2001.
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