UCLA star Juzang declares for draft, will retain college eligibility

UCLA standout Johnny Juzang announced Tuesday that he's declared for the NBA draft, but the 6-foot-6 guard will retain his college eligibility throughout the process.

He was one of the breakout stars during this year's NCAA Tournament, averaging 22.8 points on 50.9% shooting over six appearances in the Big Dance. His 137 total points trailed only Hall of Fame guard Gail Goodrich for the most in school history during a single NCAA Tournament run.

"We all support Johnny and, for that matter, all of our players in the future who are making these types of decisions," said Bruins head coach Mick Cronin in a statement. "I will work closely with Johnny and his family on fact-finding and anything else we can do to support them in this process."

Juzang transferred to UCLA for his sophomore year after a rough 2019-20 campaign with Kentucky. The change of scenery did wonders for the former top-35 recruit, as he earned a starting role and was named to the All-Pac-12 second team.

Juzang registered the fifth-most triples in the Pac-12 (55) and finished ninth in the conference in scoring (16 points per game) during the 2020-21 campaign. His return would solidify the Bruins as a national championship contender next season.