Former Maribyrnong Sports Academy basketballer Johnny Furphy is all in on this year’s NBA draft.
Furphy, who headed to America last year to play college basketball at Kansas, announced last week that he was staying in the NBA draft.
He had previously kept his options open to whether to stay in the draft or look to head back to college for another season.
Furphy took to social media to reveal his decision after many draft boards had him going in the top 20.
“Playing in the NBA has always been a lifetime goal of mine, with that, I’ve decided that now is the time to pursue that dream.
“I can’t say thank you enough to coach [Bill] Self, the entire coaching staff and every single person associated with our basketball program.
“I have the most amazing teammates I could have asked for and I want to wish them the best of luck going forward.”
In his one season with Kansas he worked his way into the starting line up, averaging nine points, 4.9 rebounds and one assist per game.
He was voted into the Big 12 freshman’s all star team.
Furphy joined Kansas after being a late bloomer having but small growing up.
He made his first Victorian state team in 2022 in the under-20s, before earning a scholarship at Centre of Excellence at the AIS.
Before he headed to the AIS, he attended the Maribyrnong Sports Academy having long dreamed of attending the college. He finished year 12 at the academy while he was at the AIS.
He was this year named in the Australian Boomers squad for the Paris Olympics, but was cut when the squad was reduced.
