Tennessee's Keon Johnson Declares For NBA Draft

Tennessee freshman guard Keon Johnson is entering the NBA Draft and he's hiring an agent, meaning there's no chance he returns to the Volunteers.

Johnson is widely expected to be a top-10 pick, so the move comes as no surprise. He posted the announcement to his Twitter account, saying he made the decision after "a lot of time thinking, praying and consulting with my family."

Johnson joins teammate Jaden Springer, another Vols freshman, in declaring for the draft. Springer is projected to be drafted in the mid-to-late first round.

Johnson is 6-foot-5 and averaged 11.3 points and 3.5 rebounds. Those numbers are hardly remarkable, but NBA teams view him as an athletic wing who can shine on both sides of the ball and as a prospect with lots of upside.

"He's one of those combo guards, a solid scorer off the dribble," one NBA scout told OutKick. "He's athletic, can get to the rim, can apply ball pressure defensively. He really has all the tools to be a very talented NBA player."

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes seemed prepared for the loss of Johnson and Springer following the season.

“I would expect that they’ll do what everybody does now,” Barnes said after the Volunteers fell to Oregon State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. “They’ll go through the process. That’s what they need to do. And they’ll go from there.”