Former Kansas forward Johnny Furphy keeps name in 2024 NBA Draft

Former Kansas forward Johnny Furphy has announced that he will keep his name in 2024 NBA Draft.

Furphy averaged 9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists for the Jayhawks as a true freshman during the 2023-24 season. He scored in double digits for Kansas on 14 different occasions. On Jan. 22, Furphy logged a career-high in points and rebounds, scoring 23 and logging 11 boards for his first and only double-double of his college career.

The 6-foot-7 Aussie comes in as the No. 19 overall prospect in Jamie Shaw’s latest Big Board (2.0). He is the only Jayhawk that is projected to be a first-round draft choice, per Shaw’s list.

“Playing in the NBA has always been a lifetime goal of mine,” he wrote, via Kansas’ social media accounts. “With that, I’ve decided that now is the time to pursue that dream. I can’t say thank you enough to Coach [Bill] Self, the entire coaching staff, and every single person associated with our basketball program. I have the most amazing teammates I have ever asked for and I want to wish them the best of luck moving forward.

“And to Jayhawk Nation, thank you for being the greatest fan base in the world. Rock Chalk.”

Purphy cut his teeth at the NBA Global Academy in Melbourne, Australia. As a three-star recruit, he was the No. 138 player in the 2023 recruiting class and No. 29 small forward, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

Caleb Love withdraws from 2024 NBA Draft, returning to Arizona for senior season

Arizona star Caleb Love has withdrawn from the 2024 NBA Draft and will return to Arizona for his final year of eligibility, according to his Twitter page.

He spent the first three seasons of his career at North Carolina before transferring to Arizona ahead of the 2023-24 season.

This past season, Love started all 36 games for the Wildcats. He averaged a career-high 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 33.2% from beyond the arc. For his efforts, he was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.

At North Carolina, Love appeared in 101 games over three seasons. He amassed 1,476 total points with the Tar Heels, earning honorable mention All-ACC honors in 2022 and 2023 while being selected to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2021.

Caleb Love played high school basketball at Christian Brothers College (MO), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.