Mykhailiuk to enter NBA Draft without an agent

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas junior Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is entering his name into the NBA Draft without hiring an agent, KU head coach Bill Self said Wednesday.

Mykhailiuk will have until May 24 to decide whether to remain in the draft or return to KU for his senior season.

“We support Svi 100 percent with his decision to test,” Self said. “I know he’ll prepare very hard for it and after the combine, he’ll get accurate feedback and make an informed decision which is what the rules are designed to do. In no way, shape or form is this a surprise. We expected this.”

A 6-foot-8 guard from Cherkasy, Ukraine, Mykhailiuk started 25 games for KU last season and averaged 9.8 points per contest. The two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection ranked eighth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.9 percent and eighth in 3-point field goals made at 1.9. Mykhailiuk made three or more from beyond the arc in 11 games with four or more treys in four outings. He pulled down 3.0 rebounds per game and also averaged 1.9 steals per contest in 2016-17.

“Kansas has prepared me for this opportunity and after talking with Coach Self, my family and teammates, it is my plan to work hard and take my game to the next level,” Mykhailiuk said. “I have matured a lot in my three seasons at KU as a player and a person, playing for great coaches and with great teammates, many who are in the NBA. I have got a lot stronger under coach (Andrea) Hudy and have improved my overall game every year. It’s everyone’s dream to play in the NBA and not going with an agent allows me to see where I stand after the combine and workouts.”

For his career, Mykhailiuk has played in 97 games for Kansas with 31 starts and a 6.3 scoring average. His 122 3-pointers made rank 20th on the KU career chart, including a career-high six treys against Chaminade (11/23/15) during his freshman season at the Maui Invitational. Mykhailiuk scored career-high 23 points against Austin Peay in the 2016 NCAA Tournament opening round.

In 2016-17, Kansas won its NCAA record-tying 13th-straight Big 12 regular-season title going 31-5 overall and 16-2 in the league standings. In Mykailiuk’s three seasons at KU, the Jayhawks have won three league regular-season titles, one Big 12 postseason championship and three in-season tournaments. Also in that span, KU went 91-19 averaging 30.3 wins per season.

FOLLOW
Twitter @KUHoops
Instagram @kuhoops
Facebook /KansasBasketball

KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.