Paxon grad Isaiah Adams will test NBA draft waters

Freshman forward at UCF will retain college eligibility during pre-draft process

Isaiah Adams of the UCF Knights reacts to a foul called during the first half of a game against the Houston Cougars at Fertitta Center on January 17, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) (Carmen Mandato, 2021 Getty Images)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Isaiah Adams is seeing what this NBA thing is all about.

The Paxon graduate and true freshman forward at the University of Central Florida announced in a social media post on Wednesday that he was entering the draft.

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“After spending time speaking with my family and coaches, I have decided to enter my name into the 2021 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine. I hope to learn a lot through this process and I thank Knight Nation for all of their support.”

Adams, who won the state’s Mr. Basketball award in 2020 at Paxon, just completed his first season in college at UCF. Adams averaged 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game with the Knights.

Adams will retain his eligibility as long as he doesn’t hire an agent and withdraws before the July 19 deadline. The NBA draft is July 29. The NBA draft combine is June 21-27.

Initiating the pre-draft process will afford Adams to see where he stands against other prospective NBA draft entrants.

Another local product, Potter’s House graduate Udoka Azubuike, did the same thing following his sophomore season at Kansas in 2018, and again after his junior season the following year. Both times, Azubuike withdrew and returned to school.

He went on to become a first-round draft pick in 2020.


About the Author

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.

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