Arizona Basketball: Dalen Terry announces he’s staying in the NBA Draft

After testing the NBA Draft waters for several weeks, Arizona Basketball star Dalen Terry officially announced that he will be staying in the draft.

On the same day it was announced that former Arizona Wildcat Luke Walton will be an assistant coach under J.B. Bickerstaff for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Arizona Basketball star Dalen Terry, or DT as his teammates call him, announced on he is staying in the NBA Draft.

Terry went from not mentioned to a probably being first round draft pick. If he was projected second round he may have come back to Tucson.

Terry told the Indiana Pacers that last year was his best season of basketball and he takes with him great memories. “It’s the best basketball year of my life, honestly, and it was great just to be with those guys — memories I will always remember forever – some good memories this last year.”

Dalen Terry says his great positive attitude comes from his love of the game. Says, he spoke to everyone in his inner circle and he went with his gut feeling.

ESPN is now projecting Terry to go No. 27 in their latest mock draft. ESPN listed Terry as one of the “standouts of the pre-draft process,” along with Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams. Jonathan Givony also has Bennedict Mathurin going No. 8.

UCLA had several players return last season thinking they were going to win a National Championship. It didn’t happen, injuries and other issues derailed that dream.

Instead, Arizona shocked the world and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Not only that, they ended up owning UCLA and won the Pac-12 Championship (regular season and tournament).

Don’t forget, because of Mathurin, there were plenty of NBA Scouts in the stands at Arizona games all season and post-season. So those same scouts were watching Dalen and his attitude as well as a difference maker on the court.

Arizona fans are loud about this being a mistake on Terry’s part, but they have no idea what feedback he’s getting and how he’s feeling about his performances at NBA tryouts. If anyone can surprise people, it would be Terry.

Here is what Seth Greenberg had to say, “Dalen Terry will be a very good role player in the @nba
and that’s a compliment. Size, skill, terrific vision and passer, can defend multiple positions. Plays with great energy.”

We reached out to Dalen’s father Al Terry for his thoughts:

“He’s worked out for a handful of teams where he and his advisory team believe there is significant interest from both sides that warranted his decision to remain in the draft. Dalen has never been afraid of a challenge or hard work and really that’s what’s on the other side of this decision to remain in the draft. More work, he just happens to love what he does and is good at it.”

Dalen had made his dreams come true so far, so why not a first round pick in the NBA 2022 Draft?