St. Joseph’s guard Ryan Daly will test NBA waters, not hiring agent
The star scorer will retain the option to return for another season on Hawk Hill.
St. Joseph’s star Ryan Daly announced on Wednesday that he has submitted his name to be evaluated for the NBA Draft. But he won’t sign with an agent to keep open the option of returning to Hawk Hill.
Daly made it clear that if he returns to school, it will be at St. Joe’s. The 6-foot-5 guard said he isn’t looking to graduate transfer anywhere else.
“I love St. Joe’s. I would die for St. Joe’s,’’ Daly said in a phone interview. “If I’m not playing professionally, I will be at St. Joe’s. I’ve never been happier. I will not be national ring-chasing.”
Meaning he isn’t looking to graduate transfer anywhere. He has one season of eligibility remaining after four years of college. He’s played one season at St. Joe’s after transferring from Delaware and led the Atlantic 10 in scoring, averaging 20.6 points a game.
Daly said he’s had a lot of talks with Hawks coach Billy Lange about this and that his coach has been fully supportive. But he made the point to him that if he’s going to do this, he has to be all in, that he shouldn’t put his name in if he doesn’t immerse himself in the process.
The process obviously is complicated by the fact that NBA teams aren’t holding workouts now for potential draftees. So it will be harder for Daly to show what he can do.
“That’s the thing,’’ Daly said. “If there were workouts, it would really benefit me.”
Daly did not completely rule out the idea of also trying to play professionally in Europe if the NBA didn’t turn out to be the option. He’d have to weigh all sorts of factors on that, he said. Right now, the thought is to stay in the draft or return to St. Joe’s.
“Playing Division I was always my goal,’’ Daly said. “Some kids were dunking when they were 12. When you’re playing freshman ball at 5-foot-9 in State College, you’re not thinking about the NBA. But the NBA has made these rules pretty flexible. It makes sense.”