STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford standout guard Ebuka Okorie will declare for the NBA draft after finishing as the leading scorer in the ACC during his freshman year.
Okorie transformed from a lesser-known recruit from New Hampshire into one of the premier freshmen nationwide during his single season with the Cardinal under coach Kyle Smith.
In his announcement on social media regarding his draft decision, Okorie expressed gratitude to Smith and the coaching staff on Thursday.
“A year ago, you all took a chance on a kid from New Hampshire with no high major offers, welcoming me warmly and enabling me to become the best version of myself both on and off the court,” Okorie stated.
Okorie made a significant impression immediately, scoring 26 points in his first game against Portland State, setting a Stanford freshman record with 36 points in a surprising victory over North Carolina in January, and netting 40 points in a home triumph against Georgia Tech.
He concluded the season ranked eighth nationally in scoring at 23.2 points per game, with only freshmen AJ Dybantsa of BYU and Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas projected as lottery picks ahead of him. His eight games this season with at least 30 points broke the ACC freshman record previously held by Duke’s Marvin Bagley III.
Okorie excelled at penetrating defenses and drawing fouls. His perimeter shooting also saw improvement throughout the season, as he recorded a 46.9% success rate from beyond the arc in his last 12 games. He is anticipated to be a late first-round selection.
With 719 points scored in his single season at Stanford, Okorie ranks third all-time for a Cardinal player in a season, behind Adam Keefe’s 734 in 1991-92 and Chasson Randle’s 724 in 2014-15.
Okorie was named a first-team all-ACC selection and received honorable mention as an AP All-American, averaging 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The last time a player matched Okorie’s per game averages in points, rebounds, assists, and steals was in 2018-19, when Ja Morant of Murray State and Jermaine Marrow of Hampton achieved similar statistics.
