MISSOULA – A fantastic junior year allowed Ahmaad Rorie to test his chances in the pros. But ultimately the point guard decided to return to Montana for his senior season. Rorie announced Tuesday he is withdrawing from the NBA Draft.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN first reported the news, and Rorie re-tweeted his report.
One more year!! Go Griz https://t.co/WOwzvuXAT6
— Ahmaad Rorie (@ahmaadrorie) May 22, 2018
Rorie took advantage of the ability to enter the draft process, allowing the Tacoma native and former transfer from Oregon to work out for pro teams. But he never hired an agent, so Rorie can return to UM.
He scored over 17.2 points and 3.7 assists per game for the Grizzlies last year. Rorie also reached 1,000 career points in only his second year at UM, becoming the fastest to reach the milestone in Griz basketball history.
“I have aspirations to play at the next level, and this is a great chance for me to work out with NBA teams and other players who are projected to be at that level,” Rorie said when he first entered the draft process. “There are a lot of positives to this opportunity, and it will give me the chance to get some verbal feedback to see where I stack up.”
“This is Ahmaad’s dream, and we’re going to support him as he pursues it,” Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said at the time. “I think this is an educational opportunity for Ahmaad to see where he stands in the eyes of GMs, coaches, owners and scouts at the next level. If it happens, we’ll be cheering for him like he’s still wearing a Grizzlies jersey, and if not, he’ll be better off from this process.”
Rorie’s play was one of the biggest reasons the Grizzlies finished 26-8 last season, winning a Big Sky championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. His decision will certainly add to Montana fans’ excitement about next season. UM will return six of their top seven players in 2018-19.
