University of Connecticut Athletics
Vital Withdraws Name From NBA Draft List
5/22/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STORRS â€" Rising junior guard Christian Vital (Queens Village, N.Y.) has officially withdrawn his name from the 2018 NBA Draft eligible list and will return to UConn for the 2018-19 school year.
Vital, the Huskies' leading rebounder and second-leading scorer last season, had declared himself available for the NBA Draft on April 20, allowing him the chance to participate in workouts for NBA teams and receive feedback. By not hiring an agent, however, he did not jeopardize his college eligibility. He had until the May 30 deadline to withdraw his name.
"I'd like to let UConn Nation know that I'm withdrawing my name from the 2018 Draft and returning to school," Vital said. "This has been a great learning experience for me and now I am very excited to get back to campus and get to work with my brothers. My teammates and I are looking forward to rebuilding the championship culture at UConn."
Vital played in all 32 UConn games last season, starting 23, and averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He led the team in free throw percentage at .846 and in three-pointers made with 68 (2.1 per game).
