PROVO, Utah – Mark Pope will have a hole to fill in the middle of his BYU basketball program next season.
Matt Haarms, the 7-foot-3 center, announced on Instagram Friday that he will not return to BYU, saying, “It is time for me to move into the next chapter of my life. After many conversations with those I trust, I have decided to forgo my final year of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.”
Haarms came to BYU as a graduate transfer from Purdue last offseason. In his one season in Provo, he averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Haarms was named the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was also on the All-WCC second team.
