Texas freshman big man Jaxson Hayes is declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft, the school announced on Thursday.
The 6-foot-11 Hayes rocketed up NBA draft boards after a promising freshman season with the Longhorns as he showed a lot of upside on both ends of the floor. Putting up 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, Hayes shot 72 percent from the floor and 74 percent from the free-throw line.
The son of former NFL player Jonathan Hayes, Jaxson is a classic late-blooming big man who blew up the July before his senior season of high school. Never starting a varsity basketball game until his senior season, Hayes went from recruiting afterthought to getting recruited by some of the best programs in the country.
Now a potential lottery pick, Hayes showed ability as a rim protector and scorer around the basket as he’ll be a fascinating prospect to track during workouts.