Michigan State basketball's Nick Ward to enter NBA draft, won't hire agent

Another Michigan State sophomore plans to test the pro basketball process.

Forward Nick Ward will enter his name for the NBA draft but will not hire an agent, per the school.

“I fully support Nick’s decision to take the opportunity to explore his draft stock,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said in a release. “He has continued to improve and worked very hard over the last two years to put himself in this position. The process will allow him to receive direct feedback and an assessment as to where he stands in his dream to play at the highest level.”

More: Michigan State basketball 2018-19: Roster analysis (minus Bridges, Jackson)

More: Michigan State's Miles Bridges ready for NBA draft; Jaren Jackson Jr. not

Ward — a 6-foot-8, 245-pounder from Gahanna, Ohio — is not projected to be selected by most mock drafts, though a few place him toward the back of the second round of the 60-pick draft that will be held June 21.

“Ward’s per-minute production this season is historically good, but there are a lot of question marks about how his game might translate,” ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony said in January. “The NBA isn't really littered with 6-8 guys with just-average athleticism who don't shoot 3s, block shots prolifically, play-make for others, or step outside of the paint defensively.

“I think he'll be a guy scouts look at as an upperclassman, but it feels premature to be talking about him right now.”

Ward averaged 12.4 points a game this season and led the Spartans with 7.1 rebounds, ranking eighth in the Big Ten. He shot 64.8 percent from the field, second-best in the conference, and was an All-Big Ten third team selection by the media and an honorable mention selection by the coaches.

Classmate Miles Bridges on Wednesday announced he would enter the draft and has hired Klutch Sports and agent Rich Paul to represent him.

By not hiring an agent, Ward has until May 30 to withdraw his name from the draft and return to MSU for his junior season. He can still participate in the NBA draft combine, which will be held May 16-20 in Chicago.

In a post to Instagram, Ward wrote: “SPARTAN NATION! first and foremost I want to thank you for the love and support you have gave me for the past two years I want to thank my coaches and my teammates for pushing and believing in me! I want to thank my parents and all my family for supporting me! at this time I want to explore all my options so with that being said, I am declaring for the 2018 NBA draft….. at this time I will not be hiring an agent!”

MSU also is waiting to learn whether freshman forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who is projected as a potential top-5 pick, also will enter the NBA draft. Jackson has until April 22 to make his decision.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!