Ryan Dunn Declares for 2024 NBA Draft; UVA Guard a Potential 1st-Round Pick
Tyler Conway@@jtylerconwayFeatured Columnist IVApril 16, 2024
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Virginia guard Ryan Dunn will forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the 2024 NBA draft, he told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
“I had an amazing two years at UVA,” Dunn said. “I’m focused on the next step in my life now. I got really good feedback from the NBA and am ready for the next level. I am all in.”
B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman projected Dunn as the No. 41 overall pick in his latest mock draft.
Dunn averaged 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game last season, emerging as one of the premier defenders in college basketball. However, he made just 20 percent of his three-point attempts and created issues in spacing for a Virginia team that regularly struggled to score.
“Confidence-wise, it wasn’t always there for me just letting it go from beyond the arc,” Dunn said. “I’m going to have a whole different mindset with that. A lot of my role was being a rebounder and making plays at the rim, I did that the best I could to try and help my team win.”
Dunn is a high-level athlete and can defend four positions at 6’8″, so he’s going to find himself drafted in June. How high he can move up draft boards will depend on Dunn’s ability to show improvement as a shooter in pre-draft workouts.
Dunn would be smart to take advantage of every possible opportunity to showcase his skills, beginning with the NBA draft combine in May. If he’s able to knock down shots in individual drills and during 5-on-5 workouts, then he could position himself in the first round.
The 2024 draft class is not considered particularly strong, so a 3-and-D wing who can develop into a starter is about the apex of what teams can hope for in the 20s and 30s on draft night.
