Bruce Brown Jr. declares for draft but still has option for return to UM

Photo credit: Josh White
Bruce Brown Jr.
Sophomore Bruce Brown Jr. reaches for the layup during a game against Florida State Jan. 7 at the Watsco Center. Brown scored 23 points to lead Miami to an 80-74 victory over FSU. Photo credit: Josh White

It looks like Bruce Brown Jr. has played his last game as a Miami Hurricane … Most likely.

The sophomore guard declared for the NBA Draft Thursday, March 22, but did not yet hire an agent, leaving him the option to return to UM. He has until April 22 to enter his name into the draft – which is set for June 21 – and until June 11 to withdraw from draft consideration.

Brown missed the last 12 games of the season after suffering a broken left foot at the end of January and undergoing surgery Feb. 1. When he did play, he averaged 11.4 points per game – tied for second on the team – while grabbing 7.1 rebounds and dishing out 4.0 assists a night, both of which led Miami.

The Boston native was considered a lottery pick by most mock drafts going into the 2017-2018 season but did not make the kind of strides offensively that people expected after a record-setting freshman year. He has since dropped to a late first-round or early second-round pick on most boards.

Brown came to Miami as a five-star recruit and made a name for himself his first year as a Hurricane. He set freshman records for most points in a season with 391 and most points in a single game with 30 in an upset win over North Carolina.

This season, he became just the sixth player in ACC history to record two career triple-doubles. He totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 2017-2018 season opener against Gardner-Webb.

Brown, who stands 6 feet 5, will be able to showcase his talents to teams in pre-draft activities and the NBA combine, which goes from May 16-20.