A&M center Tyler Davis to forego senior year, pursue NBA dream

Tyler Davis, who helped Texas A&M reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament twice in three seasons, told ESPN’s The Undefeated he will forego his final year of eligibility.

Davis has apparently hired an agent. He isn’t expected to be taken in the upcoming NBA draft but will still pursue a professional career.

“I loved my time at Texas A&M,” Davis told The Undefeated. “I love coach (Billy) Kennedy, my coaches and my teammates. I will always  be thankful I was a part of their program. I just want to start my career as a pro and have decided to stay in the 2018 NBA Draft with the goal of being in the NBA next season.”

The 6-foot-10, 260-pound Davis was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Freshman team in 2016, was All-SEC second team in 2017 and was named first team All-SEC in 2018.

This season he averaged 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in leading the Aggies to a 22-13 campaign that concluded in the Sweet Sixteen.

As a sophomore he averaged 14.1 points and 7.0 rebounds, and during his freshman year he averaged 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. He also scored a buzzer-beating put-back in a victory over Kentucky which enabled the Aggies to win a share of the SEC championship.

The loss of Davis will significantly alter A&M's preseason outlook for next season. The Aggies figure to build around the backcourt of senior guard Admon Gilder and sophomore point guard T.J. Starks.

There will be questions inside, though. Josh Nebo, a 6-9 transfer from St. Francis, will likely replace Davis in the starting lineup.