Sam Dekker Declares for 2015 NBA Draft: Latest Details and Reaction
After boosting his stock significantly during the 2015 NCAA tournament, Wisconsin Badgers forward Sam Dekker officially announced his intention to enter the 2015 NBA draft Friday.
The 6'9" junior made the announcement by way of a heartfelt letter that was posted to the Wisconsin Basketball Twitter account:
There is no question the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, native enjoyed his best season to date in 2014-15 with per-game averages of 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. He also converted 52.5 percent of his attempts from the field, making him one of the Badgers' most efficient offensive players.
His play reached an entirely different level in the NCAA tournament, as he turned in three 20-plus-point performances.
He was so good, in fact, that he was named to the prestigious All-Tournament team, per NCAA March Madness:
After the Badgers exacted revenge against Kentucky in the Final Four and ended its perfect season, they fell just short of ultimate victory in a devastating loss to Duke in the national championship game.
While Dekker had nothing to hang his head about, he was apologetic after the Badgers' loss to the Blue Devils:
"My apologies for a disappointing end to the year, but thank you to all of Badger Nation. Very proud to be a part of this. All love.
— Sam Dekker (@dekker) April 7, 2015"
Dekker is a hot commodity after his NCAA tournament showing, and ESPN Insider Chad Ford lists him as the No. 16 prospect in the 2015 draft.
Dekker appears to be a surefire first-round pick, and there is no question he will garner plenty of interest leading up to the draft due to his combination of size and skill.
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