Santa Clara redshirt freshman forward Allen Graves, a standout alum of Ponchatoula High School, announced Tuesday night that he will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Allen Graves, a former Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana who helped Santa Clara reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years, has declared for the NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Ponchatoula product announced his intentions Tuesday night on X.
“This journey has been nothing but a blessing, and I give all the glory to God for every opportunity and every challenge that has shaped me,” Graves posted. “This path is not one that I have walked alone,” he added, thanking his family and Santa Clara.
“We are so thrilled for Allen to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA,” head coach Herb Sendek said in a school release. “He is an outstanding player and person, both on and off the court, and has a very bright and long career ahead of him. He is a special talent, as evidenced by all of his success this season, and the sky is the limit for him at the next level.”
After redshirting his first year, Graves flourished this season, being named the West Coast Conference’s Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year in addition to earning first-team All-WCC honors.
Graves averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. He scored a season-high 30 points in 25 minutes on Feb. 7 at Washington State.
He had 17 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 2.4 seconds left, in the Broncos’ first-round NCAA Tournament game against Kentucky in St. Louis. The Wildcats rushed down the floor and got a buzzer-beating three-pointer to force overtime and eventually defeated Santa Clara 89-84.
In high school, Graves led Ponchatoula to back to back Division I Non-Select state championships in 2023 and 2024.
Graves is looking to become the third Santa Clara product in the last five years to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Jalen Williams, who has become an All-Star and NBA champion with the Oklahoma City Thunder, was taken in 2022 and Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors was selected the following year.
Players have 10 days following the NBA Draft Combine in May to remove their names from the draft list.