Jalen Bridges to Explore NBA Draft Opportunities While Keeping Eligibility
Baylor Bears forward Jalen Bridges is testing the waters of the NBA Draft, but will maintain his eligibility in so doing, he announced Saturday morning on Twitter.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the ability to play the game I love,” Bridges started. “I want to thank my family and friends for always being there for me through it all. Last but certainly not least, I want to thank Coach [Scott] Drew and the entire coaching staff, my teammates and all of the Baylor fans for their support throughout my time in Waco. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to build relationships that I’ll cherish forever and to play for such an amazing program.”
“Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine and I feel that now is the right time to take a step to make my dream a reality,” he went on. “I will continue to work hard and make the most of this opportunity, and I look forward to what the future holds. Thank you all for your continued support. After much thought and consideration, I’d like to announce that I have decided to explore the NBA Draft process while maintaining my eligibility. Sic ‘Em Bears!”
If he is to move on and embark upon a professional career, Bridges will leave behind a collegiate career that’s seen him average 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 47.4% from the field in his two stops. That includes this past season, where he averaged career-highs of 10.3 points and 5.6 boards per contest in Waco.
Before coming to Baylor, of course, he began his career at West Virginia. There, his high marks were 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2021-22.
