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Yale's Oni, Ivy League's top player, entering draft

Yale junior Miye Oni told ESPN that he will declare for the NBA draft.

"I plan on entering the 2019 draft," Oni told ESPN via text message. "I submitted my name to the Undergraduate Advisory Request to legally protect myself and my NCAA eligibility, but I have every intention of staying in the draft. I'll be signing with agent Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports."

Oni, a 6-foot-6 wing, averaged 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 31 minutes per game as a junior, being named Ivy League Player of the Year after helping Yale win the conference championship.

Oni, a late bloomer in high school, initially was slated to play at Division III Williams College after barely having played varsity basketball up until his senior year.

"It has always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA, however, given the circumstances of how little notoriety I had coming out of high school, it was difficult to envision a straightforward path to get there," Oni said. "Things began to clear up more once I arrived at Yale. I believe the coaching staff and others have helped take my game to the next level, where I feel now that it is the right time for me to explore my options of playing basketball at the professional level.

"I have made arrangements to complete my degree if I indeed leave Yale early."

He burst onto the NBA radar screen at the Nike Skills Academy in August 2017, playing against some of college basketball's elite players. He solidified his status as a potential draft pick this past December by scoring 29 points against an ACC foe, Miami, in the HoopHall Invitational in front of dozens of NBA scouts.

He is currently ranked No. 53 among ESPN's top 100 prospects for this summer's draft.

"I'll be training with Joe Abunassar and my longtime personal trainer, Jonathan Kelley, in preparation for the draft," Oni said. "I believe I will surprise NBA teams with my versatility. I have the ability to play 1, 2 and 3 offensively and defensively. I can run the pick-and-roll, shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch and defend multiple spots. Whatever a team needs I will do."