Star Junior declares for NBA draft

Editor's Note: This is a developing story.

Junior Tyler Burton has declared for the 2022 NBA Draft, according to an announcement he made on his Instagram on April 6.

Burton, who led the University of Richmond’s men's basketball team in points and rebounds over the past season, is the first UR junior who has declared for the draft, which will take place this June. 

“These past three years have shown me things that as a kid I could only dream about,” Burton said in the post. “I would like to personally thank my teammates, coaches and the fans of Richmond. After close talks with coaches, friends and family, I am grateful to announce that I will be declaring for the NBA Draft.” 

To punctuate his post, the caption was simple and to the point: “.”

Declaring for the NBA draft does not automatically surrender NCAA eligibility, although it does allow for the formal process of NBA scouting and evaluations to begin. Until June 1, Burton will explore his prospects at an NBA career. If Burton withdraws from the NBA draft before that June 1 deadline, he can return to the Spiders program and play his fourth season next year. 

“Our entire program is fully behind Tyler's decision," head coach Chris Mooney said in a statement from the UR athletic department. "He is going to be a tremendous professional player and we are committed to doing everything possible to help him throughout this process." 

Burton enters the draft as an outsider — despite being the standout player of UR’s tournament run, he is not listed among the top NBA prospects by most major news and sports outlets.  

Contact sports writer Logan Jones-Wilkins at logan.joneswilkins@richmond.edu.