Johnny Furphy to Remain in NBA Draft

The freshman's career at Kansas has come to a close.

Kansas freshman guard Johnny Furphy (10) lines up a three-pointer against Baylor in the first half of the game Saturday, February 10, 2024 inside Allen Fieldhouse. / Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA

His collegiate career came and went in the blink of an eye, but Johnny Furphy certainly left his mark on the Kansas Jayhawks. The fan-favorite freshman from Australia has decided to remain in this year's NBA Draft and forgo his remaining eligibility.

Furphy's time at KU from commitment to draft declaration was less than one calendar year. He committed late – August 2nd, 2023 – reclassified to play this year, and his rapid improvement has him looking like a first-round pick in next month's NBA Draft.

Furphy ended up being a savior for a depleted roster, stepping into a bigger role initially when Arterio Morris was kicked off the team, and then even more so after Kevin McCullar's knee injury during conference play. His boyish looks and Australian accent – plus plenty of meme ammo – made him an immediate fan favorite. Furphy averaged nine points and 4.9 rebounds on the year in 24 minutes per game.

Furphy's best game as a Jayhawk came against Cincinnati when the freshman dropped 23 points and 11 rebounds – both season highs – in 37 minutes. It was also three games into a stretch where Furphy scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games. Despite massive improvements throughout the course of the regular season, especially on the defensive end, he struggled down the stretch with his shooting, though still ended up hitting 35% of his threes.

Talk around the program was that Furphy would return if not a first-round pick, but the combination of a weak draft class and a good showing at the combine and other workouts sealed Furphy's fate. ESPN's Jonathan Givony and The Athletic's Sam Vecenie both have Furphy has a top-20 pick in their latest mock drafts, and there's been talk that he could go as high as the early teens.

The first round of the NBA Draft will take place on Wednesday, June 26.