April 5, 2016
Vanderbilt sophomore guard Wade Baldwin IV, a two-time All-SEC selection has informed the Vanderbilt Athletics Administration that he has opted to forego his final two years of eligibility and enter the NBA Draft.
The 2016 NBA Draft will take place June 23, 2016, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Baldwin, who was named a second-team All-SEC choice in 2016 and as a member of the 2015 All-SEC Freshman team, averaged 14.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game in his sophomore season and departs the Vanderbilt program as the all-time freshman and sophomore single-season assist leader. Baldwin’s 4.81 assist per game average in his career is second on VU’s all-time career list behind Jan van Breda Kolff’s 5.38 average and his 5.21 average in 2015-16 is sixth on the single-season list.
“After careful consideration and discussion of my options with my family and coaches, and soul-searching within myself, I have decided to part ways with one of the finest institutions in the world, a legendary gymnasium, a great group of teammates, and my dedicated coaching staff, and officially declare for the 2016 NBA Draft,” said Baldwin.
“I want to thank Vanderbilt University for giving me the opportunity to do what I love on the court, and for providing me with a world class education,” said Baldwin. “I intend to finish this semester at Vanderbilt.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Coach Stallings and the rest of the Vanderbilt coaching staff,” Baldwin continued. “Without your daily commitment to make our team the best it could possibly be, and to educate me to become a better player in every facet of the game, none of this would be possible.
“To my teammates, despite our hard work and dedication, we didn’t achieve all of our goals on the court during the past two seasons, but we grew together as friends and teammates,” said Baldwin. “You helped me become a better player and a better person. I never want to let you guys down, so leaving you all hurts the most.
“To the fans, thank you for your overwhelming support during the past two years. Your enthusiasm and vocal support at every game made me want to work even harder and made my experience at Vanderbilt an absolute joy.”
