The Arizona Wildcats lost a third player to the NBA Draft pool Friday but, as of now, they are expected to get this one back.
Sophomore guard Dalen Terry posted on social media that he is declaring for the NBA Draft while keeping open the option to return to school. Terry will be able to work out with other draft hopefuls and teams this spring while he tests the draft and might be invited to the NBA Combine in Chicago next month.
He will have until June 1 to withdraw if he hires an NCAA-certified agent and follows several other guidelines.
In his statement, Terry thanked coaches Sean Miller and Tommy Lloyd, his family, fans and teammates.
“I want to thank the entire Arizona community for accepting a PHX kid with open arms and making me feel at home in Tucson,” Terry said. “I want to thank my family for always pushing me and encouraging me to chase my dreams. Without every one of you sacrificing for me, I wouldn’t be here today.”
UA already lost wing Bennedict Mathurin and center Christian Koloko to the NBA Draft, with both of those players leaving school definitively. ESPN projects Terry to be taken slightly lower than Koloko, at No. 43 in the middle of the second round, a range that can command guaranteed NBA contracts or a two-way deal that is likely to be worth $500,000 next season.
While Terry is known as a basketball junkie who can now soak up some high-level workouts and evaluation this spring, he is still expected to return because he has the potential to turn into a solid first-round pick in 2023 and make much more in 2023-24. First-round picks are guaranteed two-year contracts worth at least $4 million.
Terry is also fully NIL-eligible as a U.S. citizen, and has been active in the marketplace, something UA coach Tommy Lloyd said affect the stay-or-go decisions his players face. As international college players, Mathurin and Koloko are not eligible for most NIL activity because of student visa work restrictions.
“It could be a factor in some of these things,” Lloyd said during a postseason news conference last week. “But it’s nothing where we sat down, plopped a number on table in front of a guy and said, `Stay for this.’ And, listen: I’m totally great with guys being able to take advantage of their name, image and likeness. But I think you’ve still got to maintain some of the college spirit, the college experience. I think that’s a big part of it.”
If he returns to UA, Terry will not only have the opportunity to keep marketing himself but also do so while holding an even higher profile on the court. Without Mathurin around, Terry will have the opportunity to be the Wildcats’ primary perimeter go-to player next season and possibly improve his 36.4% 3-point shooting.
As it was last season, Terry was a constant triple-double threat who averaged 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists — with nearly a 3-1 assist-turnover ratio — while becoming an honorable mention all-Pac-12 pick.
An artful passer and secondary scorer last season, Terry also used his athleticism and length on the glass. He pulled down 31 rebounds over a four-game stretch in early February, collecting 12 in UA’s 72-60 win at Washington State on Feb. 10.
“We call him Mr. Do-Everything,” Mathurin said after that game. “Getting rebounds, scoring and making passes. It’s good for the team. A really good thing to see.”
In the Pac-12 Tournament, Terry used his ballhandling skills to help bail the Wildcats out after a severe ankle sidelined point guard Kerr Kriisa in a quarterfinal game against Stanford.
Arizona basketball standout Dalen Terry, right, smiles after a kid scored on him following Wednesday's dedication event for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson's new basketball court at Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Jim & Vicki Click Clubhouse, 1935 S. Columbus Blvd.
Justin Kier took over as the starting point guard during the Wildcats’ next three games, but in the Pac-12 title game against UCLA, Kier and Larsson both picked up three first-half fouls. Terry responded with four assists and no turnovers, helping UA win the Pac-12 Tournament title with an 84-76 win over the Bruins.
“DT JUST TOOK MY JOB,” Kriisa tweeted afterward.
Terry’s infectious energy also benefited the Wildcats. He grew up a Wildcat fan in Phoenix, playing for both Tempe Corona Del Sol and Phoenix Hillcrest Prep.
“D.T. loves hooping,” Lloyd said in February. “I think he’s happy being out on the floor and he plays with amazing effort and energy. When you play with that kind of effort and energy consistently, good things are gonna happen.”
Terry could return to the Wildcats under more liberal NCAA rules for players wanting to test the draft.
In order to be eligible for a return, players must first request an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee and can only hire an NCAA-certified agent. Players can have agents pay for their workouts but can’t accept any benefits from anyone other than the agent.
In addition, players must not miss class to participate in a tryout, with the exception of the G League Elite Camp and NBA Draft Combine that are both held in Chicago from May 13-22. If players decide to withdraw, they face an NCAA-imposed deadline of 10 days after the end of the Combine, which is June 1 this season.
But if Terry winds up staying in the NBA Draft and leaving the Wildcats, they will not only lose a versatile weapon but also have just eight or nine players on hand for 2022-23 pending additional recruits or the possible reclassification of 2023 commit Kylan Boswell.
The Wildcats will return a proven combo guard in rising junior Pelle Larsson and a potential breakout candidate in French wing Adama Bal, who made a minor splash in several late-season appearances. Earlier this week, they also received a commitment from 6-8 Serbian wing Filip Borovicanin.
In addition, Arizona could receive an immediate replacement for combo guard Justin Kier if Boswell reclassifies and joins the Wildcats next fall. A five-star guard, Boswell has been playing EYBL club ball for Team Why Not this spring but his father, Brandon, said last week that he still has yet to decide on reclassification.
