Division II Player of the Year Daulton Hommes will declare for the 2019 NBA draft.
“I am looking to fulfill my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” Hommes told ESPN. “I have filed my application for evaluation with the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC). After I have received word from the UAC, I will be looking to hire an agent.”
Hommes, a junior at Point Loma Nazarene University, is currently at the NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis, where he will accept the award for NABC Division II Player of the Year on Sunday.
Hommes, who is ranked No. 96 in the ESPN 100, has one of the more unlikely backstories of any prospect in the 2019 draft, having started his career as a walk-on at Western Washington University. He came to the attention of NBA teams after becoming workout partners with Gordon Hayward last summer.
“Because of my injuries in high school forcing me to miss my junior and senior year, I did not envision myself as an early-entry candidate to the NBA draft when I came out of high school,” Hommes said. “I started my career as a walk-on, so my initial goal was to get back on the court and play the game I love. After my redshirt season of just practicing and before I had even played a game in a WWU uniform, I wrote it down as a goal that I would make it to the NBA. I have always been confident in my skills and abilities and I knew that once I got healthy, I would be able to chase my dreams.”
NBA representatives went to watch Hommes play and practice all season in San Diego, as his combination of size (6-foot-8), athleticism and perimeter shooting ability is unique at any level of college basketball. He averaged 22 points and six rebounds per game, shooting 47 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the free throw line while playing 31 minutes per game. He led his school to the national championship game, losing to Northwest Missouri State. He’ll now turn his attention to preparing for the NBA draft, and he’s hoping to receive an invite to one of the NBA combines in Chicago.
“I’m extremely excited to get in front of NBA teams to showcase all of my skills,” Hommes said. “I think I can surprise a lot of teams with my athleticism, how well I can shoot from NBA range, and other intangibles. I’m eager to get feedback on what I need to work on and I am excited to begin improving in those areas.”
Source : ESPN
