WKU Men’s Basketball: Lamonte Bearden withdraws name from NBA Draft

According to a tweet posted by Lamonte Bearden to his Twitter account, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native has withdrawn his name from consideration for the 2018 NBA Draft.

Bearden originally submitted his name for draft consideration on April 24, and then informed ESPN’s Jeff Goodman on May 19 that he intended to hire an agent and remain in the draft. However, Bearden has decided to pull out of draft consideration on the last day that the NCAA allows players to withdraw their name and retain their college eligibility.

During his junior season at Western Kentucky, Bearden averaged 11.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in his first season as a Hilltopper. The Buffalo transfer’s decision to return to WKU for his senior season means the Tops will have two of their three starting guards back for next season, with standout freshman Taveion Hollingsworth being the other. 

Bearden’s decision to return to the Hill for the 2018-19 season will certainly provide a boost to a team that will already be dealing with replacing Darius Thompson, Dwight Coleby, and Justin Johnson.