Auburn basketball's Jaylin Williams to enter 2023 NBA Draft, maintain eligibility

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

AUBURN — Auburn basketball forward Jaylin Williams is entering his name into the 2023 NBA Draft while also maintaining his collegiate eligibility, he announced via Instagram on Thursday.

Williams, who just finished his fourth season with the Tigers, averaged a career-high 11.2 points per game on 46.6% shooting in 2022-23, proving to be one of coach Bruce Pearl's most efficient offensive options. He also sank 35.4% of his 3-pointers and pulled down 4.7 rebounds per game in 33 starts.

He joins Johni Broome and Wendell Green Jr. as Auburn players who have declared for the draft this offseason. If any of the three wish to return to the Tigers after testing the NBA waters, the NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline is May 31.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jaylin Williams (@iso__jaywill)

NBA DRAFT: Auburn basketball's Johni Broome declares for draft, retains eligibility for return

RECRUITING: 4-star center Peyton Marshall decommits from Auburn basketball

"Auburn family, thanks to you my basketball journey has been unforgettable," Williams wrote in his announcement. "Without you all, I wouldn't be where I am today. An Auburn man. From traveling all over the world, to being the number 1 team in the country, my time at Auburn has been unforgettable. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world. ...

"I'm looking forward to this next step in my career and can't wait to see what the future holds."

Williams came to Auburn as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2019 out of Brantley County High School in Nahunta, Georgia. He was rated as the No. 119 recruit in his cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, and tabbed as the 19th-best power forward.

Due to COVID, Williams has an extra year of eligibility to use if he opts to return to college. Allen Flanigan, who finished the season as Auburn's starting small forward, is in a similar position, though he has yet to make an announcement on his future plans.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Jaylin Williams: Auburn basketball forward to enter name into NBA Draft