(Editor’s note: University of Montana media release)
MISSOULA – Montana junior Ahmaad Rorie announced on Thursday his intention to declare for the NBA Draft. Rorie plans to do so without hiring an agent, meaning the opportunity remains for him to withdraw from the process and return to the Grizzlies for his senior season, should he choose to do so.
“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. “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.”
Rorie is a two-time All-Big Sky Conference selection, earning first-team honors in 2018 after helping Montana to a 26-8 record, a regular-season and tournament championship, and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Tacoma, Wash., native averaged 17.2 points and 3.7 assists per game, and became the third Grizzly in school history to score 1,000 career points in just two seasons.
Rorie ranked in the top 10 in the Big Sky for scoring, assists, minutes played, assist-to-turnover ratio and free-throw percentage. He scored in double figures 30 times, including 13 games with 20-plus points.
Rule changes in 2016 now allow for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft and participate in workouts with teams. By not signing with an agent, a player maintains his NCAA eligibility as long as he withdraws from the process prior to the Draft (June 21).
“This is Ahmaad’s dream, and we’re going to support him as he pursues it,” Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said. “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.”
