South Carolina Basketball: AJ Lawson Declares for NBA Draft

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – DECEMBER 22: A.J. Lawson #00 of the South Carolina Gamecocks takes a shot over Casey Morsell #13 of the Virginia Cavaliers during a college basketball game at John Paul Jones Arena on December 22, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Last Sunday marked the final day for underclassmen to either declare for the NBA draft or to make the decision to return to school. One South Carolina basketball player has decided to enter the draft process, for now.

For the second straight season, Sophomore AJ Lawson has announced that he will be going through the NBA draft process. He will not, however, hire an agent. Doing this allows him the opportunity to meet with teams individually and gather information about his draft prospects, but still leaves the option of returning to South Carolina should he not receive the feedback that he’s hoping for.

Unfortunately, 2020 has been anything but a typical year in sports. The current COVID-19 pandemic has halted these in-person meetings and workouts, meaning it will be more difficult for players like Lawson to gather this information.

Still, there is no harm in Lawson’s decision. It’s in his best interest to receive any and all feedback possible, which he can then use to improve upon areas of his game that may be lacking.

The 6’6” guard was the Gamecocks’ leading scorer in 2019, averaging 13.4 ppg. He entered the year a draft prospect but fell from most boards following an up and down sophomore season. He will have until early June to either opt for the NBA or return to Columbia.

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