When Michigan received a commitment from former Coastal Carolina guard DeVante' Jones May 1, the situation was clear — Jones intends on playing at Michigan for one season, but he will still go through the pre-draft process to receive feedback and see where his stock lies.
The reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year and the favorite to start at point guard for Michigan, Jones averaged 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals and shoot a career-best 36.8 percent from three-point range in 2020-21.
Despite the expectation that he will be on campus in Ann Arbor this summer ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, Jones has been training in Dallas in preparation for draft workouts. Now, it appears opportunity will come knocking, with HoopRumors.com's JD Shaw reporting that Jones has received an invite to the NBA G League Elite Camp, which will be held from June 19-21 in Chicago.
RELATED: Wolverines In The NBA: Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke Set For Game 7
RELATED: Michigan Basketball's Hunter Dickinson Has National Title Aspirations, Too
The G League Elite Camp is a three-day event that gives NBA Draft prospects an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA and NBA G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives. The athletes will participate separately in five-on-five games, as well as strength and agility drills.
The kicker is that the top standouts from the camp will earn an invite to the NBA Draft Combine, which will be held June 21-27, also in Chicago.
That is important for Jones, who is hoping to garner more NBA attention ahead of the draft, or at least get on the radar heading into what he believes will be his final collegiate season. Jones is not appearing on mock drafts or best available prospect lists at this time, though he will now have the chance to rise up the rankings in late June.
Including Jones, Michigan has six NBA Draft hopefuls this summer — wing Franz Wagner, forward Isaiah Livers, guards Chaundee Brown and Mike Smith and center Hunter Dickinson.
Dickinson declared for the draft in late May, but has chosen to hire an NCAA-certified agent in order to retain his college eligibility. He is hoping to earn an invite to the NBA Draft combine as he explores his options.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook