Fresno State freshman to test NBA Draft stock after solid end to first season

Fresno State men’s basketball guard Niven Hart, who finished his freshman season with a flourish, has told the Bulldogs that he intends to enter the NBA Draft to get a gauge of his pro stock.

Underclassmen who declare for the draft have until June 15 to withdraw and retain their college eligibility. The draft is scheduled for June 25.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard averaged 16.8 points during his final eight games, starting with a career-high 29 points in 28 minutes in a loss to Colorado State. Two games later, he scored 30 points in 32 minutes in a victory over San Jose State.

Hart, who was recruited by Georgetown, Georgia, Memphis, Oregon and Wake Forest before committing late to Fresno State, started the season slow.

He averaged only 14.9 minutes over his first 18 games, including a high of 28 minutes in a victory over Division II Cal State San Bernardino and a low of four minutes in an overtime loss at Utah State. He scored 5.2 points with 1.8 rebounds in those games, but after missing time with an injury played a larger role down the stretch for a Bulldogs team that finished 11-19 overall and 7-11 and in seventh place in the Mountain West Conference.

This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 6:14 PM.