Forward Jalen McDaniels to withdraw from NBA Draft, return to SDSU

By John Horvath
Published

SAN DIEGO-- Aztecs forward Jalen McDaniels has announced on Twitter that he will withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to San Diego State for his sophomore season.

https://twitter.com/jalenmcdaniels5/status/1002014890805018624

McDaniels played a key role in the Aztecs' march to the NCAA Tournament in the 2017-18 season, averaging 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He seemingly got better in each and every game that he played in.

The decision is a big boost for the program's hopes to return to the NCAA Tournament next spring.

The 6'10", 195-pound forward declared for the NBA Draft on March 19 but did not hire an agent, which allowed him to return to school if he so chose. McDaniels had been working out for teams in recent weeks and measuring his potential draft stock.

Today was the deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA Draft. If he continues to show improvement, McDaniels figures to be, at the very least, a first-round pick in the 2019 draft.