Following a sensational senior year with the Tulane Green Wave, Jaylen Forbes is looking to make a name for himself after declaring for the 2023 NBA draft.
Forbes was named to the All-AAC second team after averaging a career-high 18.5 points, five rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.7 assists in 31 games on 38.8% shooting from 3-point range. He was second in the conference in minutes per game (36.5) after ranking first the two previous years.
He started his college career at the University of Alabama. He played one season with the Crimson Tide and transfered to Tulane. He earned all-conference honors in each of his three years with the Green Wave and has improved with each season.
He emerged as a tremendous scorer over that time.
The 6-foot-5 guard finished third in the conference in scoring and fourth in 3-pointers (88) last season. He scored in double figures in all but two games and produced 14 20-point games, including a season-high 31 points in a win over SMU on Jan. 11.
Forbes helped the Green Wave (20-11, 12-6) to their first 20-win season since 2013 when they were in Conference USA. He was one of eight players in the country to average at least 18 points and five rebounds with 80 total 3-pointers.
Now, Forbes is focused on the pre-draft process.
He announced on March 29 that he would declare for the draft with the option to return to school next season. He is currently preparing for the draft in New Orleans while also maintaining his schoolwork at Tulane. He will eventually be training in Dallas, Texas.
Rookie Wire caught up with Forbes this week to discuss testing the pre-draft process, working out with teams, receiving advice from former Crimson Tide teammate Herb Jones and more.
Please note: This interview was minorly edited in its transcript for clarity