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Notre Dame basketball: Blake Wesley right to declare for the 2022 NBA Draft

By Brad Weiss

Feb 26, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Prentiss Hubb (3) and guard Blake Wesley (0) chat on the bench in the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Prentiss Hubb (3) and guard Blake Wesley (0) chat on the bench in the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame basketball program is losing Blake Wesley after only one season, but it was a smart move for the true freshman guard.

Heading into their matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats, the Notre Dame basketball program needed spark. They got said a spark from true freshman guard Blake Wesley, who made his first collegiate start against one of the best teams in the country and did not disappoint.

In fact, Wesley became a star right out of the gate, hitting the game-winning shot in what would be a season-defining victory for the Fighting Irish. From there, Notre Dame basketball would be one of the more consistent teams in the country, playing their way to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in five years.

A true scorer, Wesley was counted on in a big way in his first season in South Bend, as the South Bend native began to get looks from multiple NBA scouts. After his strong run to start his college career, he began popping up on NBA Mock Draft, and eventually, was seen as a legitimate first-round prospect.

Because of that, Wesley decided to declare for the NBA Draft on Wednesday, which was a smart move for him. The 2022 NBA Draft is one of the weaker in terms of first-round talent than there has been in quite some time, so he is entering the draft process at the right time, and could go higher than he would if he stayed in South Bend one more season.

Notre Dame basketball star projected in top-20

Based on many recent 2022 NBA Mock Drafts, Wesley is seen as a top-20 pick, just outside of the Lottery selections. The NBA Lottery is considered the top-14 picks in the draft each season, so falling short of that could cost Wesley some money.

However, you never know what can happen from year to year at the collegiate level, and based on his play this season, he is striking while the iron is hot.

Overall, Wesley was a tremendous talent for the Irish in his only season with the program, and will likely be an impact player at the next level. He took advantage of the opportunity Mike Brey gave him as a true freshman, parlaying that into one of the better one-and-done seasons we have seen within this program in a while.