Jalen Lecque has submitted paperwork exploring his eligibility for the 2019 NBA draft, his father, Derrick, informed ESPN.
"We're waiting to hear if he's eligible or not," Derrick Lecque told ESPN. "We're waiting for them to evaluate the transcripts."
Lecque, the No. 34 recruit in the 2019 high school class according to the ESPN 100, believes he is eligible for the 2019 draft as he is currently in his fifth year of high school at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. The 6-foot-4 guard reclassified from his original class following his junior year. He fulfilled all NCAA academic requirements to graduate high school in the spring of 2018 and could have enrolled in college this past fall as a full qualifier, Jalen Lecque told ESPN.
Because Lecque technically did not receive a high school diploma from the Christ School, where he was enrolled in North Carolina during the 2017-2018 season, he needed to petition the NBA for inclusion by submitting high school transcripts to the league office by April 11. Since he is a year removed from his original high school graduating class and turns 19 in the calendar year of the draft, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement, he appears to have a strong case for inclusion, according to league sources. He will need to wait for an official decision before submitting his name for inclusion on the NBA early-entry list, the deadline for which is April 21.
A number of NBA scouts have told ESPN they attended Brewster Academy games this season to evaluate Lecque. Most, if not all, teams have scouted him in person.
Lecque's team finished the season 34-7 and won the National Prep Championship in New Haven in March, a tournament that was attended by representatives from approximately five NBA teams, including Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti. Lecque played his best basketball of the season at that tournament, according to ESPN recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein.
Lecque, who is a social media sensation due to his NBA dunk-contest-caliber explosiveness -- boasting over 300,000 followers on Instagram -- has a case to be considered the best athlete in the 2019 draft class. His perimeter shooting ability and decision making are issues he will need to address in the long-term to reach his full potential.
He averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, .8 blocks and 1.8 turnovers in 30 minutes per game while at Brewster, shooting 66 percent from 2-point range, 26 percent from 3 and 63 percent from the free throw line.
Lecque is currently ranked 76th in ESPN's latest top 100 rankings but will have several opportunities to show NBA teams that he is worthy of hearing his name called on draft night, starting with the prestigious Jordan Brand Classic in Las Vegas on April 20. Lecque will go head-to-head with most of the top prospects in the 2019 high school class in two prior days of practices and scrimmages, which are typically heavily attended by NBA decision-makers. If deemed draft-eligible, he'll also likely be invited to the G League Elite Camp or the NBA draft combine in Chicago during the second week of May.
He'll have until May 29 to withdraw his name from the NBA draft if he doesn't like the feedback he's receiving and can revert to his original plan by enrolling at NC State.