Adem Bona, the Pac-12 Conference’s freshman of the year, is withdrawing his name from the NBA draft and will return to UCLA for his sophomore season.
Wednesday is the deadline for players eligible to withdraw from the draft to do so.
The 6-foot-10 Bona will be an anchor for the Bruins. who are losing starters Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell and Amari Bailey. In his first season, the center averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 33 games (32 starts).
“We are all very excited about Adem continuing his career in Westwood,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “Adem wants to develop further, which will help him have a long NBA career, and he wisely used this pre-draft process. We are going to see great things from Adem next season, and we also appreciate his loyalty to UCLA.”
Other players electing to pull out of the 2023 draft are:
—Guard Tristen Newton will return to national champion UConn for his fifth and final season. Newton was UConn’s third-leading scorer in 2022-23, his first season with the Huskies. Newton, who transferred from East Carolina, averaged 10.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 39 games (38 starts) last season.
Newton collected 19 points and 10 rebounds in UConn’s win in the national title game over San Diego State.
–Jahvon Quinerly is returning to Alabama, CBS Sports reported. He will rejoin a backcourt that has Mark Sears, who announced his return to the Crimson Tide this week, and Hofstra transfer Aaron Estrada, who won back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association player of the year awards. Quinerly averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 assists in 35 games (six starts).
–Center Branden Carlson, who has appeared in 110 games for Utah, will play his final season with the Utes. The 7-footer had his best statistical season in 2022-23, averaging 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 31 games, all starts. He was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection last season.
–Another first-team All-Pac 12 honoree, Tristan da Silva, is heading back to Colorado. A 6-9 forward, da Silva averaged 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals for the Buffaloes.
–Cormac Ryan, who transferred to North Carolina but also elected to test the draft waters, will play for the Tar Heels. Coach Hubert Davis confirmed his signing on Wednesday. Last season at Notre Dame, Ryan started all 32 games and put up a career-high 12.3 points to go with 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
–Clifford Omoruyi, a first-team All-Big Ten defensive team selection in 2022-23, will return to Rutgers. A center, Omoruyi was the first Rutgers player to lead the team in scoring (13.2 points per game), rebounding (9.6) and blocks (2.1) since the 1990-91 season.
–FAU guards Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis, the leading scorers of an Owls team that made a Final Four run, are both returning. Davis averaged 13.8 points on the season while Martin scored 13.4 per game. Martin averaged 15.2 points in the NCAA Tournament, including 26 in the Final Four loss to San Diego State.
–Jordan-Josiah James is returning to Tennessee for a fifth and final season. He averaged 10.0 points in 24 games (14 starts) last season.
–Kansas State 6-10 starting forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin will return for a team that made a deep run in the tournament. He was the Wildcats’ third-leading scorer during the regular season (10.4 points per game).
–Starting guards A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins are returning to a Michigan State team that is projected to be preseason top five. Hoggard averaged 12.9 points and 5.9 assists while Akins scored 9.8 per game with 4.0 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
