Indiana Basketball: Two more Hoosiers declaring for the NBA Draft

Al Durham and Justin Smith are two of the newest Indiana basketball players to test the waters, and put their names in the NBA Draft.

Announced on Tuesday, two more Indiana basketball players have put their names in the 2019 NBA Draft, testing the waters.

Both Al Durham and Justin Smith have declared for the draft, with the intention of getting feedback from NBA teams and scouts, sources tell us.

While the deadline to declare was Sunday at midnight, their names were just officially announced as early entrants on Tuesday.

Durham averaged 8.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and shot 34.8 percent from three this past year. As a sophomore, with aspirations of playing in the NBA one day, this gives him two more years to hone in on his skills and work to improve his game based on the feedback he receives from NBA teams.

We saw flashes of what Durham could be in the NIT when he was more of a focal point in the offense. Often times overshadowed by Romeo Langford, Durham scored a career-high 22 points in the NIT opener.

For sophomore Justin Smith, the hybrid forward has had an up-and-down first two seasons in Bloomington. With a versatile skillset and all the athleticism in the world, Smith has yet to consistently put the two together and play his game, often times trying to do too much.

Averaging 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, Smith’s best production came towards the end of the season. In both games against the Spartans, he had his best two outings of the season, scoring a career-high 24 points at home in the upset, as well as adding 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first matchup against Michigan State.

Devonte Green announced earlier last week his intentions to declare for the NBA Draft as well.

With the new rules, underclassmen are now allowed to hire an agent while leaving the possibility of returning to school. They have until May 29 to withdraw their name from the NBA Draft and sever ties with their agent to remain eligible.