Arkansas forward Jordan Walsh declares for 2023 NBA Draft, maintains college eligibility

According to Curtis Wilkerson, Arkansas forward Jordan Walsh will declare for the 2023 NBA Draft. Walsh is keeping the door open to return to Fayetteville, maintaining his college eligibility throughout the process.

Walsh spent just one season in college, playing a key role in Arkansas’ run. In 37 games, the freshman averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. There were times when Walsh struggled to shoot from deep, being under 30% from behind the arc.

There was improvement once postseason play came around, with Walsh performing well in the SEC and NCAA Tournament. He averaged just over nine points per game and was more efficient from the floor as the Razorbacks were once again able to win multiple games in March under head coach Eric Musselman.

Walsh played high school basketball at Cedar Hill (TX) Link Year Prep, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 22 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.