Kentucky's Kahlil Whitney Declares for 2020 NBA Draft, Will Hire Agent

Former Kentucky Wildcats forward Kahlil Whitney is headed to the 2020 NBA draft. 

"I have decided to declare for the 2020 NBA draft," Whitney told Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. "I truly believe in my development and grind. I want to thank my coaches, fans, trainers and family for ongoing support. My journey will be inspiring to kids and athletes all over the globe."

Givony noted Whitney, who will hire an agent as he moves on to the next level, arrived at Kentucky as a highly regarded prospect but withdrew from the school in January.

Whitney was a 5-star prospect and the No. 11 overall player in the class of 2019, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and figured to be next in the long line of one-and-done Kentucky superstars who thrived in their one collegiate season before joining the professional ranks.

However, he played a mere 12.8 minutes per game and averaged 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds a night while shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range.

He didn't look the part of an NBA prospect, although Givony pointed out the 19-year-old impressed before joining the Wildcats on the AAU circuit and playing against NBA and top college players during August's Nike Basketball Academy.

"During the pre-draft process I'm hoping to show every NBA team what so many others know I'm already capable of," Whitney said, per Givony. "These past few months, I've been really focused on my individual development and refining many of my skills: tightening up my shot mechanics, ball handling, pick and roll reads, passing, and understanding NBA terminology."

That pre-draft process is up in the air at this point given the delays and cancellations across the sporting world because of the coronavirus pandemic, but Whitney is someone who would stand to benefit greatly from it since he did not put together much impressive tape in college.

Whitney was not on Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman's Top 50 big board in March.

While he still has plenty of room for improvement, those strides will not take place in the collegiate game.