Kentucky freshman guard Tyrese Maxey, announced earlier today that he would be forgoing his final three seasons of eligibility and declared for the 2020 NBA Draft. Maxey spent one season as a Wildcat and his announcement comes only a day after fellow Kentucky Wildcat Ashton Hagans announced his would be declaring for the draft. These are both tough losses for the Wildcats, but both were expected to declare after the end of the season. Kentucky is well known for bringing in top-ranked classes ever year and this 2020 class is no different. Maxey averaged 14 points per game, grabbed 4.3 boards and had 3.2 assists a game in his lone season at Lexington.
THE GREATEST TRADITION… THANK YOU #BBN FOR EMBRACING ME… FOREVER A WILDCAT!!! pic.twitter.com/UCGsGE9X4c
— Tyrese Maxey (@TyreseMaxey) April 6, 2020
Tyrese Maxey as an NBA Prospect
Maxey is currently being projected from as high as a top 10 to as low as a mid-first-round pick according to multiple outlets. This is due to the way in which many scouts have evaluated Maxey as a player. Maxey stands at 6-3 and weighs 198 pounds and is only 19 years old. Maxey is still filling out and maturing, both mentally and physically. Coming into his freshman year, Maxey was being touted as a high-level scorer, who could score from all three levels. However, despite proving that his strong ability to attack the basket with nifty layups and moves, there are some serious questions about his outside shot. Maxey shot 49.2% inside the arc but shot a poor 29.2 percent from three. Maxey is a good free-throw shooter, sinking 83% of his shots from the line. Due to his poor shooting percentage from 3, this has lead some scouts to be hesitant ranking Maxey high in mock drafts. Maxey is not a great point guard and is more of a scorer than a passer. His defense has also been cited as a strength and his work ethic is unquestioned. It will be interesting to see where he falls on draft night.
