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Per multiple sources, KZ Okpala is keeping his name in June’s NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of eligibility.
Sources: Stanford's KZ Okpala is staying in the 2019 NBA Draft.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 29, 2019
Stanford’s KZ Okpala is keeping his name in the NBA draft, source told ESPN.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 29, 2019
KZ had a stellar sophomore season, earning a First Team All Conference selection and vaulting his way up the mock draft boards. There’s a very real chance he hears his name called in the first round.
His outside shooting numbers improved drastically this season, and he adapted well to leading the offense. He’s still seen as a work in progress, but between his combine numbers and the flashes he showed this year, his stock is fairly high. He is the first player to leave Stanford after just two seasons since Brook and Robin Lopez, in 2008.
His departure means Stanford has one available scholarship. It might be difficult to fill it this late in the game, and they may just prefer to save it for the strong 2020 high school class. In that scenario, James Keefe would likely be put on scholarship.