Not long after Kentucky’s season ended, PJ Washington declared for the NBA Draft and gave up what is left of his college eligibility.
As a player who turned down the draft a season ago and returned to college to improve his game, PJ has become a shining example and has set a new precedent for players coming back to school to improve their stock.
When Washington arrived at UK in 2017, he seemed to be a near lock as another one-and-done in John Calipari’s NBA machine. Over his 10 years in Lexington, Calipari has sent 35 players into the NBA Draft, including 26 in the first round and 19 in the lottery, and as the 12th ranked player in the 2017 class per ESPN, it seemed that Washington would have the opportunity to forego his eligibility and not return to Kentucky.