UCLA's Chris Smith Declares for 2020 NBA Draft; Was Pac-12's Most Improved POY

UCLA guard Chris Smith announced Tuesday that he is declaring for the 2020 NBA draft.  

Speaking to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Smith said he's "100 percent committed" to the draft process and is "excited to see what the future holds."

Smith ended his college career on a high note after being named the Pac-12's Most Improved Player for the 2019-20 season. 

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman doesn't have Smith ranked among his top 50 draft prospects this year.

Givony noted that NBA teams will likely be intrigued by Smith because of his age, versatility and defensive ability after UCLA head coach Mick Cronin "regularly tasked [him] with defending opposing guards."

Despite being a junior, Smith is young for his class because he enrolled at UCLA in 2017 as a 17-year-old. He just turned 20 in December. 

Smith is coming off, by far, his most productive college season. The Illinois native was a role player in his first two years with the Bruins, averaging 5.1 points and 2.8 rebounds with a 41.8 field goal percentage and 24.7 three-point percentage. 

In 31 games during the 2019-20 campaign, Smith led the team in scoring average (13.1 points per game) and shot 45.8 percent overall and 34.1 percent from behind the arc.