Jake LaRavia Remains in NBA Draft

Junior forward Jake LaRavia has officially announced his decision to forego his remaining years of college eligibility and stay in the 2022 NBA Draft.

In his one season as a Demon Deacon, LaRavia was a crucial component in getting Wake Forest back into post season play. He became Swiss Army Knife style player for the Deacs, averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 block and 1.7 steals per game. He ranked 1st on the team in minutes played, 2nd in scoring, 2nd in assists, 2nd in blocks, 1st in steals, 1st in rebounds, and 1st in field goal percentage (minimum 25 shots). Needless to say, LaRavia was pretty important to the success of Wake Forest this season.

At this point, it really isn’t a shock that LaRavia has decided to remain in the draft. He showed off his ability to shoot the three at the combine, which sent his draft stock soaring up the boards. I’m notoriously terrible at evaluating NBA prospects, but from what I saw in his 1 season as a Deac—his playmaking, shooting, ball handling, and ability to switch 1-5 on defense—I think LaRavia can contribute at a high level in today’s NBA, in the mold of Grant Williams or Draymond Green (obvious recency bias).

Checking out some of the latest mock drafts, Bleacher Report has him off the board at pick 24 to the Bucks, ESPN has him going at 32 to the Magic, and CBS has him 25th to the Spurs. Based on those I would say LaRavia will probably be off the board in the late 1st round or early 2nd round. The draft will take place on June 23rd.

Good luck Jake and Go Deacs!