Syracuse basketball forward Elijah Hughes to enter NBA Draft process

After leading the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team in scoring and earning First Team All-ACC honors in the 2019-20 season, junior forward Elijah Hughes plans to enter the NBA Draft process, he announced on twitter.

Hughes thanked his family, friends, teammates and the Syracuse community, stating the he will ‘always bleed orange.’

Hughes still has one year of college eligibility remaining and retains the right to return to Syracuse next season should he choose to withdraw his name from the NBA draft process. He is allowed to hire an agent through this process and accept payment, so long as expenses are for qualified meals, transportation and lodging. Agents must be NCAA certified.

Hughes will go through the NBA Combine, which is currently scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 21 and end on Sunday, May 24. The combine will take place in Chicago. The deadline for Hughes to withdrawal from the NBA Draft process and retain his college eligibility is June 15, ten days prior to the event.

Hughes averaged 19.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season. The 6’6” forward scored in double-figures in every game in which he was healthy in 2019-20. He missed all but the first minute of the NC State game with a lower body injury and the second half of the Miami game after hitting his head.

The NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’s unclear at this time if any of these dates will be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

For Syracuse basketball stories and updates, follow James on Nunes on twitter @JamesSzuba and @NunesMagician