ORLANDO – After a phenomenal rookie season, UCF men's basketball freshman Taylor Hendricks has announced he is declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.
"Taylor had a truly remarkable year and we're excited for the next step in his basketball career," said head coach Johnny Dawkins. "This is a tremendous opportunity for him and such a special moment. I've said it before, there was not one bad day coaching Taylor. He's a great teammate and a hard worker. He was a joy to coach and was one of the most coachable players I've ever had the privilege to work with. My staff and I thank him for everything he contributed to our program this season."
The 6-foot-9 Hendricks led UCF in several categories during the 2022-23 season, helping lead the Knights to their first postseason appearance since the team's 2018-19 NCAA Tournament appearance. He netted 515 points on the campaign, averaging 15.1 points per game. He pulled in seven rebounds per contest and tallied 59 blocks. He led the team in field goal percentage, shooting a 47.8% clip, and was second on the team in three-point percentage with a 39.4% mark from downtown. Hendricks started all 34 UCF games this season.
"Taylor has left an incredible legacy at UCF," said Dawkins. "He put in the work from day one and took major steps forward in his development. He came in and showed an effort and willingness to learn, and now has the potential to be a top pick in this year's draft."
Not only was Hendricks one of the best rookies in program history, but he was one of the top newcomers in American Athletic Conference history. He set the league record for most Rookie of the Week honors in a season with nine while also setting a new conference best by winning it four straight weeks at one point. The American gave out the honor a total of 17 times this season, meaning Hendricks was named Rookie of the Week more times than he wasn't. He was a unanimous selection to the American Athletic Conference's All-Freshman Team and earned a spot on the league's All-Conference Second Team.
Hendricks finished the 2022-23 campaign as the only player in the nation to make 60 or more three-pointers, record 55 or more blocks and score 35 or more dunks. He recorded 61, 59 and 36, respectively.
Hendricks was one of the nation's top rookies, ranking fifth in total blocks and total dunks among all freshmen. He was seventh in the nation among rookies in points per game and ranked 14th in rebounds per game in his class. Hendricks finished with the most blocks and blocks per game in The American.
UCF has had two previous members of the Black and Gold selected in the NBA Draft. Hendricks looks to become the third, joining Bennie Shaw and Jermaine Taylor. Taylor was selected by Washington in the second round with the 32nd overall pick in 2009 and stands as UCF's highest drafted player in program history. Shaw was a ninth-round selection by Milwaukee in 1976, taken with the 146th pick. B.J. Taylor, Tristan Spurlock, Dave Noel and Dexter Lyons were all drafted at the G-League level.
Hendricks is currently projected as the No. 12 prospect in ESPN's NBA draft projections. He was ranked 54th in the nation in his recruiting class by ESPN prior to his college career and now potentially could be one of the top selections in this year's draft.
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