Tennessee basketball: Vols F Yves Pons enters NBA Draft but could return
Amidst all the excitement of the NFL Draft, Tennessee basketball’s Yves Pons dropped more news Saturday. The Volunteers forward declared for the NBA Draft.
All the news was surrounding Darrell Taylor, Jauan Jennings and other Tennessee football players trying to find a home in the NFL. However, amidst all of that, Tennessee basketball ended up making news as well.
Junior forward Yves Pons is declaring for the NBA Draft, according to Grant Ramey of GoVols247. Pons said in a video posted to Twitter that he would declare while keeping his college eligibility open for the time being.
Players who declare but keep their eligibility can return after receiving feedback through the pre-draft process if they are not selected. As a result, Pons could end up finishing his senior season with Tennessee basketball.
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The news of Pons entering the draft comes less than two weeks after NBC Sports analyst Rob Dauster included him as a solid draft prospect, noting that he’s the best defender in the class altogether. Pons, a 6’6″ 215-pound junior forward from France, did earn SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-2020 with 73 blocks on the year. He also averaged nearly 11 points a game.
If Pons does decide to come back, he and John Fulkerson could build on the breakout years they had and become elite post players complementing the top five recruiting class, filling the backcourt talent, joining Tennessee basketball. The prospects for Rick Barnes would be amazing.
However, if he does enter the draft, Sacred Heart Pioneers transfer forward E.J. Anosike, the brother of two-time Lady Vols national champion Nicky Anosike, could fill the void he left. A 6’6″ 245-pound senior, Anosike averaged a double-double last year with Sacred Heart, so he could provide a lot of value.
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Either way, Pons has earned the right to go through the process. Admiral Schofield did it back in 2018 before returning for his senior season, and given the way Pons improved from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020, he ought to see where he could end up. That he even has a chance is a testament to how great Barnes is at developing talent.