Alabama sophomore Kira Lewis Jr. and junior John Petty will give the 2020 NBA Draft process a go, according to a quote Cecil Hurt heard from Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats on Tuesday.
Hurt shared the news to his Twitter account while also adding that Oats stated that it would be a “pleasant surprise” if either player returned:
Nate Oats @nate_oats says John Petty and Kira Lewis will both place names into NBA Draft. “We may not have either of them back. There’s so much up in the air.” Says it will be “a pleasant surprise”if either returns. @AlabamaMBB
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) March 24, 2020
Losing both Lewis and Petty would be a major blow to Alabama, as that combination was two of the team’s top three scorers from last season. As if that wasn’t enough, they were also the Tide’s top two three-point shooters.
There is a silver lining, however.
Former five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly, who transferred from Villanova prior to the 2019-20 season, will be eligible next season after having his waiver denied by the NCAA.
On top of that news, JUCO transfer James Rojas and former four-star Juwan Gary, who was Alabama’s top recruit in the 2019 class according to Rivals.com, will be back from season-ending injuries this past season.
Combine their presence with standouts Jaden Shackelford and Herb Jones, as well as newcomers such as Keon Ambrose-Hylton, and it’s possible that the Crimson Tide could push for a NCAA Tournament spot in 2020-21.
It would help to have either Lewis or Petty (or both) return, however.
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