Lee Plans to Withdraw from NBA Draft, Transfer from UK
He will leave the school
Kentucky men’s basketball junior forward Marcus Lee will remove his name from the 2016 NBA Draft but plans to transfer to complete his collegiate eligibility at another school.
Upon completing his paperwork to withdraw from the draft, Lee will be granted a full release with no restrictions.
“Marcus Lee informed us today that he is pulling his name out of the draft but has decided he is going to transfer to a school out west to be closer to his family,” head coach John Calipari said. “We talked it through together and discussed the team next season, which he said had no bearing on his decision. I also told him he was a semester away from graduating. With that said, he was still adamant that, after the combine experience, a year off and regrouping would be the best thing. As always I support my players and their decisions.”
Lee enjoyed the best season of his Kentucky career during his junior campaign where he boasted career highs in points per game (6.4), rebounds per game (6.0), total blocks (59) and total assists (11). He shot a team-best 68.0 percent from the floor, the best single-season field-goal percentage in school history with a minimum of 150 attempts. His 216 total rebounds were the most on the team, and he led the team in blocked shots in a team-high 18 games.
“I want to thank the University of Kentucky, the basketball staff and the Big Blue Nation for supporting me over the years,” Lee said. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come to this decision, but I’m trying to do what’s right for me and my family. I’ll always think fondly of my time at Kentucky.”
Lee ranks 20th all-time with 100 career blocked shots. He averaged 3.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots in 100 career games at Kentucky.
A two-time Southeastern Conference Community Service Team member, Lee recently concluded participation in the 2016 NCAA Leadership Forum where he was the SEC’s male representative at the weekend-long conference.
Upon completing his paperwork to withdraw from the draft, Lee will be granted a full release with no restrictions.
“Marcus Lee informed us today that he is pulling his name out of the draft but has decided he is going to transfer to a school out west to be closer to his family,” head coach John Calipari said. “We talked it through together and discussed the team next season, which he said had no bearing on his decision. I also told him he was a semester away from graduating. With that said, he was still adamant that, after the combine experience, a year off and regrouping would be the best thing. As always I support my players and their decisions.”
Lee enjoyed the best season of his Kentucky career during his junior campaign where he boasted career highs in points per game (6.4), rebounds per game (6.0), total blocks (59) and total assists (11). He shot a team-best 68.0 percent from the floor, the best single-season field-goal percentage in school history with a minimum of 150 attempts. His 216 total rebounds were the most on the team, and he led the team in blocked shots in a team-high 18 games.
“I want to thank the University of Kentucky, the basketball staff and the Big Blue Nation for supporting me over the years,” Lee said. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come to this decision, but I’m trying to do what’s right for me and my family. I’ll always think fondly of my time at Kentucky.”
Lee ranks 20th all-time with 100 career blocked shots. He averaged 3.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots in 100 career games at Kentucky.
A two-time Southeastern Conference Community Service Team member, Lee recently concluded participation in the 2016 NCAA Leadership Forum where he was the SEC’s male representative at the weekend-long conference.
O. Cauchi
@paxer89
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