Commissioner Adam Silver announced between the 15th and 16th picks in Thursday night’s draft that the NBA would let Isaiah Austin fulfill the dream of every young player, making him a ceremonial first round pick.
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Sophomore center Isaiah Austin officially announced he will forgo his final two years of college eligibility and declare for the 2014 NBA Draft. The decision came just under a month after his final college game, a loss to Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. How will Austin’s departure impact the Bears in 2014?
On Tuesday, sophomore center Isaiah Austin officially announced his long-expected decision to forego his final two years of eligibility at Baylor to enter the 2014 NBA Draft.
The key to Baylor basketball’s NCAA Tournament run to the Sweet Sixteen has been stellar defense. Baylor typically plays a base 1-3-1 defense, which effectively utilizes sophomore center Isaiah Austin’s length. Austin, standing at 7-foot-1 with a wingspan of 7-foot-3, has developed into a feared shot-blocker.
Fans knew there was something different about Isaiah Austin’s eyes. You could see it when he played. It was hard to place exactly what, but it was obvious. On Jan. 18, Austin made everything clear in a feature that aired on ESPN’s College Gameday.
Isaiah Austin, former five-star prospect, All-Big 12 and future NBA player, is blind in his right eye.
On April 28, center Isaiah Austin surprised Baylor fans by deciding to return for his sophomore season. Ever since being recruited as a consensus five-star prospect, it was assumed that Austin would leave after his freshman season.
Coming off his freshman season, the Basketball Times named Austin a Freshman All-American. The league’s media also named him All-Big 12 Second Team center. Austin averaged 13.0 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks per game on 45.9 percent from the field.
Isaiah Austin, the highly-touted freshman center, announced Sunday that he is coming back to Baylor for his sophomore season.
Austin said he is excited to come back to Baylor and build off of last season’s NIT Championship.
He was projected by many to be a one-and-done player and bolt to the NBA following his freshman year, so to have Austin back in the green and gold is an immense boost for Baylor basketball.
The Baylor Bears went into Morgantown on Wednesday and earned a 65-62 win over West Virginia. It was Baylor’s first-ever trip to Morgantown, and the win snapped its three-game losing streak.
“Road wins are always great,” head coach Scott Drew told ESPN Radio after the game. “Any Big 12 win is obviously nice, especially when you are at this time of year. This time of year every game is so big and so critical. We are really proud of how our team responded.”
Freshman center Isaiah Austin led the Bears with 21 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Senior guard Pierre Jackson contributed 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. Senior guard A.J. Walton scored some clutch baskets to give the Bears much-needed momentum down the stretch. Walton finished with 10 points and two rebounds.
The ability to adapt to a changing environment is essential to survival. This principle is true in nature, the business world and in sports. In the age of national recruiting and high school power rankings, there is more pressure on 18-year-old kids to walk into a college gym in front of tens of thousands of fans and compete at a high level. Freshman center Isaiah Austin knows this first hand, and his journey has only just begun.
Freshman forward Quincy Miller has decided to enter the NBA Draft and forgo his final three years of eligibility. Miller originally decided to stay but announced Tuesday that he has changed his mind.
High School forward Ricardo Gathers has officially signed with Baylor and completes the basketball teams’ recruiting class.
As Baylor Nation bid adieu to sophomore forward Perry Jones III Monday, it applauded the return of freshman forward Quincy Miller.
