Jalen Crutcher will forgo extra year of eligibility and enter NBA Draft

Jalen Crutcher put rumors to rest that he might return for a fifth season in college basketball.

In an Instagram post Tuesday, Crutcher wrote, “It has been a lifelong dream of mine to play in the NBA. After talking with my coaches and family, I have decided to forgo my extra year of eligibility by hiring an agent and entering the NBA Draft.”

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Crutcher became the eighth player in Dayton Flyers history to win three team MVP awards last week. He finished his career in March with 1,593 points. He ranks 16th in UD history in scoring.

Crutcher had the option to return for one more season because the NCAA decided not to count the 2020-21 season against anyone’s eligibility. Fellow senior Rodney Chatman elected to use his extra at Vanderbilt, while another senior Jordy Tshimanga bid farewell to Dayton in an Instagram post in March. The team’s other senior, Ibi Watson, has not announced his intentions.

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Crutcher signed with Tandem Sports and Entertainment, an agency that represents NBA star Ja Morant, who Crutcher got to know in 2020 while playing at home in Memphis during the early months of the pandemic.

In his Instagram post, Crutcher also thanked the University of Dayton, his teammates, Anthony Grant and the rest of the coaching staff, his family and friends and the “best fans in college basketball.”

“Flyer Nation, I love you all,” he wrote.