The NBA released a list of 242 players from colleges and professional teams who have applied for early entry into the 2023 draft Tuesday night and two members of UCF men’s basketball were on it.
Taylor Hendricks, a projected top-10 pick in June’s draft, was included as expected.
A name that’s somewhat surprising to see listed is UCF guard Ithiel Horton.
While Hendricks had already publicly declared for the draft over a month ago — first by telling ESPN and then sharing a graphic on social media — Horton’s decision to file for early entry comes with little to no fanfare.
The redshirt senior guard was one of two Knights to start all 34 of UCF’s games this past season. Hendricks, the program’s first one-and-done, was the other player to do so.
It’s unclear when Horton made the decision to enter the draft early but the deadline for players to do so was Sunday night.
If Horton wants to return to UCF and join the Knights in the Big 12 Conference for his final year of eligibility, the NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline is Wednesday, May 31.
It isn’t uncommon for players to file for early entry, test the NBA draft waters and return to school. UCF has had multiple players over the years do so, including Tacko Fall, Darin Green Jr. and Isaiah Adams.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins was asked about Horton’s potential return last month.
“To my knowledge, he’s saying he’s going to be with us,” Dawkins said on March 23. “I know this stuff is always fluid so we’ll wait and see, but he hasn’t indicated to us that he wants to go anywhere else. He’s really enjoyed his experience here with us and he continued to grow his game.”
Horton, who transferred to UCF from Pitt after starting his career at Delaware, finished third on the team in scoring (12.3 points) and led the Knights with 78 made 3s while shooting 34% from beyond the arc.
He also recorded career-bests in rebounds (127), assists (54) and steals (47).
Despite the high marks, Dawkins believes Horton still has room for improvement if returns to UCF.
“His basketball is still ahead of him because he’s just one year in our system,” the UCF coach said. “It takes a little some time to get used to a staff and the system. Offensively and defensively, there’s an adjustment.
“He’s got a lot of that under his belt now so going forward his adjustment becomes a lot less. He becomes more comfortable in his role and that’s going to continue to help elevate his game.”
Prior to the June 22 draft in Brooklyn, the draft combine will be held May 15-21 in Chicago.
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
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