KJ Lewis To Forego NBA Draft, Return To Arizona
After maintaining his collegiate eligibility during the NBA Draft Combine, guard KJ Lewis is set to return to the Arizona Wildcats for the 2024-25 season, per Jon Rothstein.
In his freshman campaign, Lewis played in all 36 games averaging 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, knocking down 46.6% of his shots from the floor. He also showcased his ability to knock down the three-point ball, connecting on 34.1% from long-range.
Listed at 6-foot-4, Lewis has potential to become one of the best perimeter defenders in the Big 12 next season. As a result, ESPN has projected Lewis to get drafted No. 19 to the Indiana Pacers in its 2025 NBA Mock Draft.
It is expected that Lewis will see a jump in his minutes per game next season, as he only say 18.3 minutes of action per game.
However, he showed flashes of what he could do given the opportunity several times last year. In a win over UCLA on March 7, he dropped a career-high 18 points, to go along with five rebounds and four assists.
The sophomore guard reached double figures in seven contests during the 2023-24 season. With guard Caleb Love unsure if he will be returning the Arizona for his final season, Lewis could be expecting a large role during the Wildcats first season competing in the Big 12 Conference.
