Top transfer Kendric Davis to play for Memphis basketball after withdrawing from NBA Draft
If there was any shred of doubt Kendric Davis would play for Memphis basketball, he removed it Friday.
The 6-foot point guard who spent the last three seasons at SMU as one of the most menacing playmakers in the AAC has formally withdrawn from NBA Draft consideration.
"... I have decided to take my name out the NBA Draft and give my all to the city of Memphis and coach Penny," Davis posted on social media Friday.
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During an interview on 929 ESPN-FM on Wednesday, Davis said he declined a G-League combine invitation. He told The Commercial Appeal he worked out for a handful of teams, including the Celtics, Rockets, Thunder, Timberwolves and Clippers.
Davis said the feedback he received from NBA personnel was "mixed." He said some teams projected him as a potential late second-round pick or a candidate for a two-way contract, while others have told him that another big year in college could vault him into first-round consideration next year.
Davis' announcement comes less than two weeks after Memphis signed the two-time transfer and reigning AAC Player of the Year.
"I feel Kendric is the best point guard in the country," Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said in a press release earlier this month. "I believe the City of Memphis and Tiger Nation will be ecstatic that Kendric will be wearing the Memphis logo next season in our quest for a national championship."
During the draft process, Davis said NBA personnel highlighted as strengths his ball-handling, shot-making, competitiveness, leadership and speed. Among the weaknesses scouts identified were Davis' height, overall strength and athleticism, and the fact that he has not yet played in the NCAA Tournament.
Davis is one of two transfers to join the Tigers so far this offseason. Former Georgia Southern guard Elijah McCadden, who scored Sun Belt Sixth Man of the Year honors last season, is the other.
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Davis gives the Tigers a high-level scorer, top-flight ball handler and elite facilitator. But his addition fills only one need for Hardaway, whose roster has undergone significant changes since Memphis' season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Five players have transferred. One more (Emoni Bates) is in the transfer portal but has not committed to a new team yet.
Four other Tigers also declared for the NBA Draft. Jalen Duren and Josh Minott were both invited to this week's NBA Draft Combine. Lester Quinones and DeAndre Williams have each had workouts with NBA teams, but neither was invited to either combine. The deadline to withdraw from draft consideration and maintain collegiate eligibility is June 1.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Kendric Davis to play for Memphis basketball, withdraws from NBA Draft
