Bowling Green State University men's basketball redshirt sophomore Justin Turner declared for the NBA draft Monday.
Turner made the announcement on his Twitter account.
“After careful consideration with my family & coaching staff, I have decided to declare of the 2019 NBA draft,” Turner tweeted. ‘'I will use this knowledge & feedback to help me evolve & take my game to the next level, so that I can eventually pursue my life-long dream of playing professional basketball. I will keep the option open for signing with an agent, while also maintaining my eligibility to come back to school.
New rules allow a player to sign with an agent and return to college if they’re undrafted.
Turner, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard, helped Bowling Green reach the Mid-American Conference tournament championship game in 2018-19 for the first time in 17 years.
— Juice (@Justinturner10_) April 22, 2019
He would become the 29th BGSU player selected in the draft and the first since forward Richaun Holmes was picked in the second round by Philadelphia in 2015.
“As a program, we fully support Justin Turner’s decision to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft,” BGSU coach Michael Huger said in a statement released by the school.
— BGSU Basketball 🏀 (@BGSUMHoops) April 22, 2019
“This process will allow Justin to learn more about future opportunities, while maintaining his college eligibility. We are excited Justin’s leadership within our program, and we are focused on preparing for a tremendous 2019-20 season.”
Turner was named to the All-MAC first team this past season, the sixth Falcons player to claim that honor.
The Detroit native ranked third in the conference in scoring (18.7), 10th in steals (1.4) and 12th in assists (3.1), grabbing 3.8 rebounds. In MAC play, Turner shot 39.6 percent from 3-point range.
He became the first player in program history to reach 1,000 career points before his junior season.
First Published April 23, 2019, 2:11 a.m.
