Gophers sophomore center Daniel Oturu has declared for the NBA Draft, a source familiar with his decision confirmed Monday to the Star Tribune.
Oturu, an All-American and All-Big Ten performer, averaged 20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this season for the Gophers. The former Cretin-Derham Hall standout is a projected first-round pick, according to several draft sites.
Minnesota coach Richard Pitino has kept in touch with Oturu to talk about the draft process. The 6-10, 240-pound Woodbury native is requesting feedback from the NBA Underclassmen Advisory Committee on his draft stock.
"My message to Daniel is to go through the process, gather the information and make an informed decision for what's best for himself and his family," Pitino said earlier this month.
Oturu follows in the footsteps of former Gophers and Hopkins guard Amir Coffey, who declared early for the NBA draft last year. Coffey went undrafted after bypassing his senior year of college, but he signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA hasn't announced how the pre-draft process and the draft would be affected after the postponement of the season due to concerns about the coronavirus.
All underclassmen declaring for this year's NBA draft have until June 3 to remove their names from the early entry list to maintain their eligibility for college.
The last Gophers player to be drafted was former Hopkins big man Kris Humphries after his freshman season in 2004.
