PONCHATOULA, La. (WVUE) – After a dramatic NCAA Tournament appearance, Santa Clara freshman forward Allen Graves is going pro.
The West Coast Conference Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year announced in a social media post on Tuesday night (April 7) that he intends to declare for the NBA Draft.
Graves, a Ponchatoula native, was part of one of the most dramatic games in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last month.
Graves drilled a 3-pointer to go up 73-70 over 7-seed Kentucky with 2.4 seconds left to go, and it appeared Santa Clara was set to move on to the second round. However, the Wildcats quickly inbounded the ball before Santa Clara could call a timeout to set their defense. The ball was advanced over half court and found Otega Oweh, who drilled a deep 3-pointer in response, sending the game into overtime.
Kentucky emerged victorious in extra minutes, 89-84.
If selected, Graves would become the third Santa Clara player taken in the last five years: OKC’s Jalen Williams was taken in the first round in 2022, and Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski.
Santa Clara’s at-large Tournament selection is the program’s first since 1996, a team that featured future 8-time NBA All-Star point guard Steve Nash.
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Graves is widely considered a “sleeper” pick by scouts in what is expected to be a crowded draft class. His draft stock steadily rose throughout the season, particularly after a breakout 30-point and 13-rebound road effort over Washington State on Feb. 7.
Depending on how teams evaluate Graves, he could be a late first-round pick or mid-second-round pick.
At 6′9, Graves shows defensive versatility and totalled 67 steals this season, which ties the most among NCAA Div. I freshmen. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor.
Before sitting out last season as a redshirt freshman, Graves won back-to-back state titles for Ponchatoula High. In his 2023-24 senior campaign for the Green Wave, Graves was named Gatorade Louisiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year and Louisiana’s Mr. Basketball after averaging 20.9 points and 12.1 rebounds.
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