Lonzo Ball Says He’s Headed to the NBA Draft

Lonzo Ball has played his final game at UCLA.

The freshman point guard who has been compared to Jason Kidd said his college career is over.

“Yeah, that was my final game at UCLA,” he told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman in the locker room following an 86-75 loss to Kentucky in a Sweet 16 matchup in Memphis. “I appreciate all the fans and all the support.”

Lonzo Ball declares for NBA Draft! After UCLA Loses to Kentucky in Sweet Sixteen NCAA Tournament! pic.twitter.com/VDZjv43jV3

— SportzNowLive © (@SportzNowLive) March 25, 2017

The 6-foot-6 is the projected No. 2 pick behind Washington’s Markelle Fultz but could end up going No. 1 overall.

“Probably No. 1,” one NBA executive said.

“I appreciate how he wanted to be coached,” UCLA coach Steve Alford, who said he is “100 percent not going to Indiana,” told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman of Ball. “In my mind, he’s the number one pick.”

Ball went for 10 points, eight assists and three rebounds in his final game but was outplayed by Kentucky freshman point guard De’Aaron Fox who went off for a career-high 39 points, four assists and three rebounds.

“Going against someone like that,” Fox told CBS, “it gets your competitive juices flowing.”