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July 8 (UPI) -- UCLA's Johnny Juzang, a breakout player at the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, took his name out of the 2021 NBA Draft and will return to the Bruins, the junior guard announced. Juzang announced his decision to return Wednesday on social media. He was projected as a late second round pick. The 2021 NBA Draft is July 29 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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"Going through the draft process has been an amazing experience," Juzang wrote Wednesday on Twitter and Instagram. "I was blessed to connect with great people, learn and grow, and get a feel for life at the next level. I want to thank everybody who has helped me in this process including my family, trainers, school, and especially my dad who helped for countless hours!
"Westwood, I can't wait to go to war! We've got a team full of warriors and there's nobody I'd rather fight beside. With coach [Mick] Cronin and our staff, I'm very excited for this season. Let's do something special!"
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard averaged 16 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season. He posted 22.8 points per game on 50.9% shooting in six NCAA tournament games. Juzang helped lead the Bruins to the Final Four, where they lost to top-seeded Gonzaga. He scored 29 points in the loss to the Bulldogs.
Juzang started his collegiate career at Kentucky. He announced his transfer to UCLA in April 2020. Juzang averaged just 2.9 points per game in 28 appearances as a freshman for the Wildcats.
The 2021 NBA Draft airs at 5 p.m. EDT July 29 on ESPN.
