Report: Duane Washington to remain in NBA Draft, won't return to Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio –– The leading scorer from Ohio State’s 2020-21 campaign will not be back for another season in Columbus.
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported Tuesday that Duane Washington told Stadium he will keep his name in the NBA Draft and won’t return to the Buckeye program.
Washington, who played three seasons in Scarlet and Gray, declared for the NBA Draft following the end of this past year, and has decided to remain in the draft process ahead of July 29’s draft date.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan, native scored 26 points over two five-on-five scrimmages during the 2021 NBA Draft Combine from June 24-25, including a 17-point performance in the final exhibition. Washington earned an invite to the combine after an impressive showing at the G League Elite Camp from June 19-21 in Chicago.
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Washington had a career-year as a junior, averaging a team-best 16.4 points per game to help make Washington a third-team All-Big Ten honoree. Washington started all 31 of his appearances for Ohio State this past season, shooting 41 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range and nearly 84 percent from the free throw line along the way.
Besides his career-best scoring output, Washington also upped his assist average to a career-high 2.9 per game, which was second only to point guard CJ Walker.
Scoring is Washington’s calling card though, and the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 20.8 points per game during Ohio State’s six-game postseason run, including a trip to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Washington scored at least 20 points on 10 occasions last season, and hit the 30-point mark twice, with a career-high 32-point outing in the Buckeyes’ tournament championship loss to Illinois on March 14.
Washington followed suit with Ohio State star forward E.J. Liddell in testing the NBA Draft process following the season, but with Washington’s name not frequently appearing in many mock drafts, many expected him to return to college for another year.
The absence of Washington will undoubtedly be a hit to the Buckeye roster in 2021-22, as the team was widely expected to begin the new season among a handful of the top teams in the country if he and Liddell returned to the program. Now though, Ohio State must look to replace Washington’s prolific scoring and 3-point shooting with what will likely be a by-committee approach come this winter.