Kansas Basketball

Yahoo Sports reports Joel Embiid will enter draft

Joel Embiid will enter the 2014 NBA Draft, according to Yahoo Sports. Embiid, who may end up as the No. 1 overall pick and a lock for a top three pick, has hinted at coming back for another year several times but considering his position, this decision isn’t really a surprise.

No official announcement from Embiid has been made at this time. However, Yahoo Sports says the formal announcement is coming soon.

Embiid tweeted on Thursday morning that he hasn’t decided yet.

The 7-foot freshman has “has progressed in settling on agent representation, but no final decision has been made” in the last week according to Yahoo Sports.

Here’s more from Yahoo Sports:

Embiid’s season ended prematurely with a stress fracture in his back, costing him the final two games of the regular season, the Big 12 tournament and Kansas’ two games in the NCAA tournament. Until the injury, Kansas was considered a serious national championship contender.

Kansas' Joel Embiid, right, talks with head coach Bill Self during practice for the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2014, in St. Louis. Kansas is scheduled to play Eastern Kentucky in a second-round game on Friday. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Kansas’ Joel Embiid, right, talks with head coach Bill Self during practice for the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2014, in St. Louis. Kansas is scheduled to play Eastern Kentucky in a second-round game on Friday. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

There’s a strong expectation Embiid will make a full recovery, but NBA teams will closely examine the long-term fitness of the injury.

Embiid has shown to be a dominating presence on offense and defense, offering NBA executives evidence he could transform into a rare franchise center. A native of Cameroon, he enrolled at a Florida prep school as a 16-year-old with limited experience as a basketball player.

Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 23 minutes a game for Kansas this season.

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