Gonzaga University senior guard Andrew Nembhard is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft – and this time he will go.
The 22-year-old from Aurora, Ont., announced on social media Thursday his intention to leave college and head make the leap to the NBA.
“I have decided to enter my name into the 2022 NBA draft and fulfill my dream of playing in the league,” Nembhard said in his statement.
This will be the third time Nembhard has declared for the draft. He did so previously in 2019 and 2020, after his freshman and sophomore seasons with Florida before he withdrew.
According to league rules, he won’t be able to do so again this time around, despite having an extra year of collegiate eligibility that was granted to all NCAA players in October 2020 because of the impact of COVID-19.
Nembhard transferred to Gonzaga after two years at Florida. He flourished with the Bulldogs, earning West Coast Conference (WCC) sixth man of the year honours in 2021 and earning a first-team All-WCC selection this past season, while being named the 2022 WCC Tournament’s most outstanding player.
In the two seasons Nembhard played at Gonzaga, the Bulldogs reached the national championship game in 2021 and lost in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
“Coming to Gonzaga was truly one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am so grateful for this place,” Nembhard’s statement said. “I am thankful and blessed to be a part of teams with so much success and accomplishments but nothing compares to all these relationships I have made over these last two years that will last me a lifetime.”
Nembhard is childhood friends with New York Knicks forward and Canadian national team star R.J. Barrett. The two played high school hoops together at Montverde Academy.