Wigginton enters name in NBA Draft

Chris Jorgensen/Iowa State Daily

Iowa State sophomore Lindell Wigginton celebrates after the Cyclones’ 63-59 win over top-seeded Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament.

Aaron Marner

Iowa State may have lost one player already to the NBA Draft when freshman guard Talen Horton-Tucker announced his intention to go pro Monday.

Sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton followed suit Thursday when he announced he will put his name in the draft “with the full intent of staying in.”

Wigginton played two years for the Cyclones, leading the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game as a freshman in 2017-18. He tested the waters after the season before deciding to return for his sophomore year.

Wigginton injured his foot in the season opener and missed the next 10 games before returning on Dec. 21, 2018.

Wigginton started just one of the team’s final 24 games despite being second on the team in points at 13.4 per game.

“I would like to thank you for the unwavering support and love you’ve given me during my time here at Iowa State,” Wigginton said in his announcement. “These past two years have shown me what it means to be a part of a special university, city and state. I could not be more blessed to have shared this opportunity with each one of you along this journey.”

Wigginton’s departure leaves Iowa State with three open scholarships after Horton-Tucker’s NBA decision and redshirt sophomore forward Cameron Lard’s departure.

“I would also like to thank my family, my teammates, and the Iowa State coaching staff as I could not have done any of this without them,” Wigginton said. “I am extremely grateful for their continued support.”

Wigginton can hire an agent and still retain his collegiate eligibility if he announces his return by May 29.