Boo Buie, the heart and soul of the Northwestern team that just completed a dream season, has opted to enter the 2023 NBA Draft.
Buie, a senior point guard, led the Wildcats in scoring and assists this season and became the first Northwestern player to be first-team All-Big Ten in 11 years.
He could have used his COVID waiver to return for a fifth year of eligibility, but instead declared for the draft. The Albany, N.Y., native did, however, leave open the door to a possible return to Evanston by maintaining his college eligibility.
"Northwestern has given me so much -- even when everyone believed we would be nothing. It has given my teammates and brothers for life," Buie said in the tweet announcing his decision on Sunday evening, while thanking coaches teammates and family members.
"With that being said, after talking with family and loved ones, I have decided to pursue my lifelong dream and enter the 2023 NBA Draft, while still maintaining my college eligibility."
Buie has until June 1 to withdraw from the draft if he wishes to return to college.
A prolific scorer and deft passer, Buie was the leader of a Wildcats team that came out of nowhere and far exceeded expectations this season. A preseason pick to finish 13th in the Big Ten, the Wildcats instead came in second and were invited to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history.
Northwestern beat Boise State in the first round of the tourney in Sacramento, Calif., before bowing to second-seeded UCLA in the second round on March 18.
Buie was named first-team All-Big Ten by media and second-team by coaches after averaging 17.3 points and 4.5 assists per game, to rank sixth and fifth in the conference, respectively. He was the first Wildcat to receive first-team honors since John Shurna in 2012. Buie was also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award given to the nation's best point guard that went to Kansas State's Markquis Nowell.
Behind Buie's leadership, Northwestern finished 22-12 overall and 12-8 in the Big Ten, setting a school record for conference wins. The Wildcats beat the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time in school history (Purdue), one of a school-record four wins over ranked teams. They finished second in the league for the first time since 1958-59.
Buie scored a career-high 35 points in a road loss to Illinois on Feb. 23. He scored 26 points, and posted a career-high three blocks, three steals and three assists in the Wildcats historic win over No. 1 Purdue on Feb. 12. He then hit a game-winning floater with two seconds to beat No. 14 Indiana three nights later.
A three-year starter, Buie scored 1,541 points in his Northwestern career to rank 10th on the school's all-time scoring list. His 447 assists rank fifth all-time.
Buie's decision deals a serious blow to Northwestern's bid to build on its success next season. Guard Chase Audige, Northwestern's second-leading scorer and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, faces the same decision as Buie. He has yet to announce whether he will pursue playing in the NBA or return to the Wildcats for what would be his sixth year of eligibility.
