Arizona freshman Deandre Ayton arrived in Tucson with expectations of being the program's next one-and-done phenom, and the 7-foot big man confirmed he's on track to blaze that path after his Wildcats bowed out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ayton and teammate Allonzo Trier, a junior, both declared for the 2018 NBA Draft following Arizona's 89-68 upset loss to Buffalo on Thursday evening.
That didn’t take long. DeAndre Ayton and Alonzo Trier declared themselves for the NBA draft. So much for taking a day to think about it. #ArizonaWildcats
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) March 16, 2018
Despite the loss, Ayton remained upbeat about his experience in the collegiate ranks and spoke highly of his time as an Arizona Wildcat.
Deandre Ayton says he will miss the special bond with teammates that he never got to have when he played high school/AAU ball. pic.twitter.com/uFYQcobpqF
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster) March 16, 2018
Ayton is a surefire top-five pick, and is projected by CBS Sports' Gary Parrish to be the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
