Mar 7, 2018; Kansas City, MO, United States; Iowa State Cyclones guard Lindell Wigginton (5) shoots over Texas Longhorns guard Kerwin Roach II (12) in the first half during the first round of the Big 12 Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports
Lindell Wigginton will reportedly do his due diligence and test the waters of the NBA Draft.
According to ESPN‘s Jonathan Givony, formerly of Draft Express, Wigginton will make himself draft eligible, but will not hire an agent allowing him an opportunity to return to school as long as he withdraws from the process by June 11.
Iowa State freshman Lindell Wigginton will make himself eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft, his father informed ESPN. Wigginton is testing the waters and will not hire an agent at this stage. News story coming momentarily on ESPN.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 21, 2018
Wigginton was among the most productive freshmen in college basketball this past season while averaging 16.7 points and shooting better than 40-percent from behind the 3-point line. That production, coupled with a weak class of point guards, will make Wigginton a strong candidate to receive an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine in late-May.
As of now, Wigginton is not regarded as a player likely to be taken within the 60 picks of June’s NBA Draft, but he is certainly on the radar of NBA scouts. NBADraft.net currently has the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada native as the No. 98 prospect in this draft class.
The same site regards him as the No. 25 NBA prospect in the 2020 class. Both of those numbers can (and should) be significantly improved if Wigginton returns to school as he will likely be the face of what figures to be a much more talented and productive Iowa State roster in 2018-19.
Even as it currently sits, NBADraft.net projects Wigginton as the No. 28 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Iowa State has not had a player taken in the first-round of the NBA Draft since Royce White was selected with the No. 16 pick in 2012.
Considering Wigginton’s projected future as a prospect in the league, testing the waters after his stellar freshman season is the smartest possible move. With that said, I would expect Wigginton to eventually withdraw from the process after receiving feedback from teams on how he can continue to improve his overall skills and draft stock for the future.
