The Athletic reported he intends to maintain his eligibility, as teammate E.J. Liddell indicated he intends to do while testing the waters himself.
All players are eligible to enter and withdraw from the draft as long as they don’t hire an agent, so doing so has become typical in recent years.
Washington, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound combo guard, shot 37.4 percent from 3-point range last season and was second on the team with 90 assists. He also grabbed 3.4 rebounds per contest.
— Duane Washington Jr. (@dwizthekid4) April 9, 2021
“After discussions with my family, Coach (Chris) Holtmann and our coaching staff, I feel it’s in my best interest to take advantage of this opportunity to potentially make my dream come true,” Washington wrote in a message posted to social media. “My focus is fully on the process and taking the necessary steps to become an NBA player. With that being said, I will be entering the 2021 NBA Draft!”
Ohio State went 21-10 last season and finished fifth in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament but were upset by No. 15 seed Oral Roberts in the first round.
The Buckeyes ranked fourth in the country in KenPom.com offensive efficiency ratings but were just No. 83 defensively.
They added Penn State transfer Jamari Wheeler earlier this month in hopes of improving the latter mark but also lost junior guard Musa Jallow, who entered the transfer portal.
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