SALT LAKE CITY — A current University of Utah basketball player is hoping to follow the early-bird path Kyle Kuzma took to the NBA.
Sophomore guard Both Gach will declare for the 2020 NBA Draft, according to @247Sports.
Gach will maintain his eligibility if he decides now isn’t the right time to turn pro, but he will test the waters, Evan Daniels, the college sports website’s director of recruiting, is reporting.
Kuzma played three seasons with the Utes from 2014-17 before making the leap to the NBA. He’s had some success early in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 17.3 points his first two seasons and 12.5 points in his third year.
The 6-foot-8 small forward was the 27th pick of the 2017 draft.
Gach made his decision after averaging 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists with the Utes this past season. He was named Pac-12 Player of the Week at the end of the regular season after scoring a career-high 28, hitting an overtime-forcing basket and then sinking three straight free throws with 0.6 left in a big win over Colorado.
He also had a triple-double earlier in what was a somewhat inconsistent season for himself and his team.
Since 2016, the NCAA has allowed college athletes to declare for the draft, attend the NBA Combine in May and then withdraw no more than 10 days after the combine to maintain their college eligibility. Student-athletes can also request an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee to receive what the NCAA.org describes as “valuable information to assist student-athletes in making the decision to turn pro or stay in school.”