TUCSON, Ariz. – Following a two-year run in which he helped the Arizona men’s basketball program to a 67-9 record, two Elite Eight appearances, two regular-season Pac-12 championships and a Pac-12 Tournament title, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has elected to enter his name in the 2015 NBA Draft.
“To start off, I just want to say thank you to the city of Tucson and our great fans for everything over the last two years,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “It’s not every day that a kid from where I grew up gets blessed with an opportunity like this.
“I’ve decided to move on to the next chapter of my life and enter my name in the 2015 NBA Draft. After talking with my family and Coach (Sean) Miller to weigh the pros and cons, I fully believe this is the right choice. I’m excited for the challenges that lie ahead, and with the knowledge that God rewards hard work, I plan to attack them.”
Hollis-Jefferson led Arizona in rebounds (6.8) and blocks (0.8), while ranking third in scoring (11.2) and steals (1.2), as a sophomore in 2014-15. He recorded a team-high four double-doubles, giving him six for his career, and led UA in blocks 15 times, rebounds 14 times and scoring seven times. He reached double figures in points 27 times on the campaign.
He led the Pac-12 and ranked in top 50 nationally with 205 free throw attempts on the season, making 145 of them to rank second in the conference and finish the year at 70.7 percent from the stripe. Hollis-Jefferson also ranked among the league leaders in defensive rebounds (eighth, 4.8), total rebounds (ninth, 6.8), offensive rebounds (12th, 2.0), field goal percentage (12th, .502), steals (14th, 1.2) and scoring (27th, 11.2).
Hollis-Jefferson showed a knack for excelling on the game’s biggest stages, averaging 14.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and 82.4 percent from the line, in eight-career NCAA Tournament games.
The Chester, Pa., native had a decorated sophomore season, highlighted by first-team All-Pac-12 accolades and a selection to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. A finalist for the inaugural Karl Malone Award, Hollis-Jefferson was named to all-tournament teams at the EA Sports Maui Invitational, the Pac-12 Tournament and the NCAA West Regional.
He was also named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2014 after averaging 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in his first collegiate season.
In 76 games in an Arizona uniform, the versatile Hollis-Jefferson averaged 10.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 steals in 27.0 minutes per contest.
In recent years, ESPN ranked Arizona sixth among all college programs in terms of producing top NBA talent over the last two-plus decades.
Over the last 28 years, NBA Draft night has been a night of celebration for members of the Arizona men’s basketball program, as 38 UA players have heard their names called since 1988.
The Wildcats’ 38 selections are tied with Duke and Kentucky for the most in the nation over that span. Kansas has 35 selections and both North Carolina and UCLA have 34 to round out the top five nationally since 1988.
UA players have been far from content by just hearing their names called on draft night, having topped the collective $1 billion mark in career earnings.
Collectively, the Wildcats who have been drafted since 1988 are an accomplished group, having won 13 NBA championships and made six All-Star appearances. The group boasts a Rookie of the Year (Damon Stoudamire), a Sixth Man of the Year (Jason Terry) and a Most Improved Player (Gilbert Arenas).
For the latest updates on Arizona men’s basketball and an inside look at the program, follow @APlayersProgram on Twitter and @uaplayersprogram on Instagram.
