Baylor MBB Trio Announces NBA Draft Plans

[Kaye, David]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 21, 2020

Baylor MBB Trio Announces NBA Draft Plans
Teague and Butler will enter names into draft, Vital commits to return to Baylor
For more information contact: David Kaye, 254-709-5147, David_Kaye at baylor.edu<mailto:David_Kaye at baylor.edu>


WACO, Texas – A trio of Baylor basketball student-athletes have announced their plans for the 2020 NBA Draft. Redshirt junior guard MaCio Teague and sophomore guard Jared Butler will both enter the draft, but will reserve the option to return to Baylor, while redshirt junior forward Mark Vital declared his intention to return to BU for his fifth year of eligibility.



Teague announced his decision to enter the draft on March 30, while Butler announced his draft entry on April 20. Vital declared his intention to return to Baylor on April 21.



“The Baylor Basketball Family is always supportive of our players chasing their dreams, and we are so proud of the men MaCio and Jared have become both on and off the court,” head coach Scott Drew said. “This is an exciting time for both of them, and we will assist them in every way possible as they gather information to make the best decisions for their futures. Regardless of what they decide, they will always be part of the Baylor Family, and we are so thankful we had the opportunity to share these past two years with them.”



“We are thrilled that Mark has decided to return as a fifth-year senior next season,” Drew added. “Mark’s growth from the time he committed in 2013 until now has been exponential, and we are so excited to see what he can do with another year at Baylor.”



Players can enter the draft early and retain their collegiate eligibility as long as they sign with a NBPA and NCAA-certified agent or do not sign with an agent. Teague and Butler will have until June 3 to decide whether to remain in the draft or retain their collegiate eligibility. The 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25 at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.



Teague was a 2020 All-Big 12 Second-Team honoree and a unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. He was twice named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and was named to the Myrtle Beach Invitational All-Tournament Team. He also earned Academic All-Big 12 Second-Team recognition.



A Cincinnati, Ohio, native, Teague scored 15-plus points in six straight games prior to suffering a fractured wrist in a win at Texas on Feb. 10. He missed two games and returned to play through the injury for the final five games of the season, including a game-winning step-back 3-pointer in an overtime win against Texas Tech.



Butler was a 2020 All-America Third-Team selection from all four consensus publications and was a unanimous All-Big 12 First-Team honoree. He was named USBWA District VII Player of the Year and was on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20. Butler was the ninth All-American of the Drew era and the first BU underclassmen to pick up All-America honors since Terry Teagle in 1980.



A Reserve, La., native, Butler played in all 64 games during his first two seasons at Baylor, including starts in his final 50 games. He posted a career-high 31 points at Kansas during his 2018-19 freshman season, and he returned a year later to score 22 points, including 10 consecutive points in the final eight minutes, in Baylor’s first win at Allen Fieldhouse.



Vital was named to the 2020 All-Big 12 Third Team and was a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist. He was a unanimous selection on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, marking a second straight season on the defensive team, and he was named captain of Seth Davis’ 21st-annual All-Glue Team.



A Lake Charles, La., native, Vital has appeared in 96 games and made 75 starts over his first three seasons playing for the Bears. He committed to BU in September 2013, redshirted in 2016-17 and has started at least 18 games in each of the last three seasons. He led the Bears with 50 steals in 2019-20, ranked second with 17 blocks, second with 181 rebounds and third with 53 assists.



The 2020-21 Bears have been projected as one of the nation’s top teams by numerous outlets. Stadium’s Jeff Goodman has Baylor at No. 1, while The Athletic’s Seth Davis, NCAA.com’s Andy Katz and USA Today’s Scott Gleeson rank the Bears No. 2. NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster, ESPN’s Dick Vitale and CBS’ Jon Rothstein all have Baylor at No. 3, while ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and CBS’ Gary Parrish project the Bears at No. 4.



www.BaylorBears.com


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David Kaye | Assistant AD for Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-709-5147

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