Report: Keion Brooks withdraws from NBA Draft, weighing college options

Former Kentucky forward Keion Brooks has withdrawn his name from the 2022 NBA Draft, Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reports. With a strong senior season, Brooks has the potential to end up a first-round selection in 2023, depending on where he decides to enroll next year.

With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Brooks entered the transfer portal when he declared for the draft, he never signed with an agent. Four schools have since emerged as Arizona, Washington, Iowa, and UCLA, according to KSR’s Tyler Thompson, though he hasn’t ruled out a return to Kentucky.

Over three seasons in Lexington, Brooks averaged 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. In 2021-22, he started in 33 of Kentucky’s 34 games, scoring in double figures 17 times while averaging a career-best 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field.

Brooks, who has improved steadily each year in college, has the experience and skills to earn starting minutes anywhere in the country, even Kentucky. One more season in the college ranks, on the current trajectory he’s been on his entire career, Brooks could emerge as one of the best two-way small forwards in the country as a senior.

Brooks enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Kentucky forward Keion Brooks became one of the more surprising transfer portalentries on Friday.

Brooks entered his name into the portal Friday, On3’s Matt Zenitz has learned. He’s currently testing the NBA Draft waters, but maintained his college eligibility while doing so. If he goes back to college, he might end up playing somewhere else.

Brooks started all 33 games for Kentucky this year and turned in the best scoring year of his career as a junior. He averaged 10.8 points to go with 4.4 rebounds per game in 24.5 minutes per contest in 2021-22 to help lead the Wildcats to an NCAA Tournament appearance. He could have two years of eligibility remaining if he uses the blanket COVID-19 waiver from the 2020-21 season.

Kentucky went 26-8 overall and 14-4 in SEC play before falling to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament.