Aaron Gordon declares for draft

ByJEFF GOODMAN
April 14, 2014, 12:10 PM

— -- Arizona will lose Aaron Gordon to the NBA draft, and the Wildcats are also likely to watch junior guard Nick Johnson leave school early, sources told ESPN.com.

The 6-foot-8½ Gordon averaged 12.4 points and eight rebounds a game as a freshman last season and is considered a lock lottery pick.

Johnson led the Wildcats in scoring (16.3 points a game) last season and, according to several NBA executives, will likely be taken in the second round of the June 26 draft.

In addition, freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and 7-foot sophomore Kaleb Tarczewski have been contemplating whether to return to school. However, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that both players are leaning toward returning to Tucson.

Hollis-Jefferson averaged 9.1 points and 5.7 rebounds last season, and Tarczewski averaged 9.9 points and 6.3 boards.

Sophomore forward Brandon Ashley, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in early February, previously told ESPN that he would return to school for his junior campaign.

If Arizona does return Hollis-Jefferson, Tarczewski and Ashley, the Wildcats will be one of the top teams in the country again heading into the 2014-15 season. Coach Sean Miller will also have starting point guard T.J. McConnell back in the fold, and he'll bring in a highly regarded recruiting class that is led by McDonald's All American Stanley Johnson.