Arizona's Gordon, Johnson Declare for NBA Draft

Photo Credit: Arizona Athletics

TUCSON, Ariz. – Following a season in which they helped lead the Arizona men’s basketball program to a 33-5 record, a Pac-12 regular-season title and an Elite Eight appearance, Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson have entered their names in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Gordon averaged 12.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game in 38 contests (all starts) for Arizona this season, leading the team on the boards and ranking second in both scoring and blocks. He posted a team-high eight double-doubles, good for sixth in the Pac-12, and shot 49.5 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.

The San Jose native was named a third-team All-American by the Sporting News, as well as first-team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. He was one of six finalists for the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year Award.

“Aaron has so many gifts as a player,” Arizona head coach Sean Miller said. “His high energy level, love for the game, competitive fire and ability to blend into a team and become a great teammate are a few of these. Considering he is 18 years old, I can certainly see why the NBA thinks so highly of him. I fully expect Aaron to be a high pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Whichever franchise chooses him is getting the ultimate winner.”

Johnson led Arizona in scoring in 2013-14 with an average of 16.3 points per game, and also ranked second on the team in assists (2.8 per game) and steals (1.1 per game). He shot 43.2 percent from the floor and 78.1 percent from the free throw line, while averaging a career-high 4.1 rebounds per game and posting a 1.67 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Gilbert, Ariz., native reached the 20-point mark a team-high 11 times on the year and had one double-double. He became the 48th member of Arizona’s 1,000-point club in mid-January, scoring in double figures in 35 of 38 games this season.

Photo Credit: Arizona Athletics

“Nick embodies all of the qualities you want in a player,” Miller said. “He’s extremely unselfish, plays both ends of the floor and always thinks about winning first. He’s made a meteoric improvement across the board in his time at Arizona, and that stems from his unbelievable attitude and his desire to be a great player. After receiving the feedback from the NBA, Nick, his family and our staff came together and we think it’s appropriate that he moves on to the next level. When you’re a first-team All-American, it speaks volumes to your talent. He leaves Arizona with my complete support, and I have no doubt that he’s going to be successful at the next level.