Cincinnati junior Jacob Evans will declare for the 2018 NBA draft.
"I decided to enter the NBA draft after weighing my options with my family and coaches," Evans told ESPN. "I feel it's the best move for me. An opportunity like this doesn't come around for many people, and I believe in my abilities and support team to go chase this dream of mine."
Evans will not hire an agent at this time, preserving the option to return to school for his senior year, pending the feedback he receives from NBA teams.
"I didn't sign an agent yet, but I'm entering my name with plans on getting picked in the first round. I'm not just testing to come back to school," Evans said.
He is currently projected 24th in the ESPN Top 100.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard averaged 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 31 minutes per game. He hit 38 percent of his career 3-pointers at the college level. Evans' productivity and versatility played a huge role in Cincinnati having one of the best seasons in the program's history, going 31-5 and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.
"The keys for me to having a good season was working on my jumper and ballhandling abilities," Evans said. "I also took the next step mentally by learning to read the defense quicker so I'll know if I need to make the pass or take the shot myself. I believe most of the game is mental. The other part was I put the time in the gym and weight room to become a better shooter and better athlete."
Evans is considered a first-round-caliber prospect because of his strong combination of size, perimeter shooting, defensive versatility and passing ability. He saw some minutes operating at point guard at times this season at Cincinnati and should be able to play multiple positions at the NBA level as well, sliding between the guard and wing positions in different lineup configurations.
His versatility is one of his biggest selling points in the position-less new-age NBA. Evans is similar in age to many sophomores projected to get drafted, not turning 21 until June 18, giving him good upside to continue to develop.