[UPDATED] Iowa’s Peter Jok Exploring NBA Options

The Iowa men's basketball team's only returning starter may not be back for his senior season, after all. This morning, he released a statement about his future plans.

Peter Jok, Iowa's 2nd leading scorer and top three-point shooter this season, is exploring options to forgo his senior year and enter this year's NBA draft. Iowa, coming off a successful 2015-16 basketball season, will be losing four senior starters in Jarrod Uthoff, Mike Gesell, Adam Woodbury, and Anthony Clemmons for next season.

Thursday (3/24) morning, Jok made this statement via the Iowa Sports Information Department: “I would like to take advantage of the opportunity that is now presented to underclassmen in going through the process of obtaining input from NBA personnel so that I can make an informed decision about my future. For me, this whole process is for experience to see how it all works and then return to work on my game.

“It’s comforting having the support of coach McCaffery and staff. Coach will continue to be a valuable resource for me during this process. If it’s not the right time for me to make the move to the NBA, I’m excited about returning and leading our team next season.”

Declaring for the NBA draft doesn't mean Jok cannot return to the team. The NBA has made changes to the draft process. A player now has 10 days after the NBA combine to remove their name from the draft. The NBA combine is May 11-15, so Jok will have until May 25 to make his decision. At the combine, players are evaluated by NBA scouts during the week, which helps them make decisions on their future. As long as a player does not sign with an agent, they may return back to their college team.

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