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SALT LAKE CITY — Junior Kyle Kuzma will forego his senior season at the University of Utah and has decided to keep his name in consideration for the NBA Draft.
Kuzma, a Flint, Michigan native, took to Twitter Wednesday to say that he was keeping his name in the NBA Draft and hiring an agent. He said his playing time at Utah has been a “wild journey” and that it was “bigger than myself.”
“By being under the guidance of coach (Larry Krystkowiak) and the staff, they allowed me to become a better player on the court by pushing ,e and giving me no handouts,” he said. “The most important thing that you guys did was help turn me from a young kid from Flint, Michigan into a man and also helped get the ultimate goal: a degree. I will forever appreciate and love you guys for that.”
Kuzma thanked his teammates and the fans and said his three years at Utah were a “pleasure.”
“It was a pleasure to play for you guys,” he added. “I can truly say that I laid it on the line every night just to make you guys proud of our program and this outstanding university. Once a Ute, always a Ute.”
Krystkowiak said in a statement that he was "very appreciative" of Kuzma and what he brought to the program. He added that it has "been a joy to see him grow, not only as a player, but also as a man."
"Kyle accomplished two goals while he was here," Krystkowiak said. "He soaked up every minute of his college experience and he will graduate this week with his degree. I would have loved to experience his senior year with him, but I can appreciate him wanting to take this next step. I wish him nothing but the best, and I am proud to call him a friend and a member of our Ute family."
Following the unceremonious conclusion to Utah’s 2016-17 season, Kuzma declared for the NBA Draft but chose not to hire an agent to keep his collegiate eligibility, per NCAA rules. During that time, players, including Kuzma, are allowed to workout with NBA teams and participate in the NBA Combine before officially declaring for the draft.
Kuzma played three years at Utah and was the team’s leading scorer his junior season with 16.4 points per game. In his final season at Utah, Kuzma also averaged 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 50.4 percent from the field. Kuzma had 15 double-doubles during his junior season.
In April, Kuzma accepted an invitation to the NBA Combine where he’ll be able to showcase his skills before every NBA team. The NBA Combine will run from May 9-14 in Chicago. The NBA Draft will take place on June 22.
Blessings. pic.twitter.com/qe7YjF8NR3
— kuzzy (@kylekuzma) May 3, 2017
