5-star Kansas recruit Preston spurns NCAA, signs with Bosnian pro team
Five-star freshman Billy Preston - listed as the No. 18 recruit on the 2017 ESPN 100 board - has left Kansas, college basketball, and the United States to sign a professional contract with Bosnian professional team BC Igokea, the team announced.
Preston, a 6-foot-10 power forward, had yet to make his Jayhawks debut after a November car accident sparked concerns over the "financial picture" surrounding his vehicle, coach Bill Self announced on Nov. 14.
With Preston stuck in the limbo of NCAA disciplinary bureaucracy, the timing was right for an unexpected suitor to make a case for his defection.
"We were watching his situation closely and reached out to his family to show interest and ultimately reached an agreement with the family attorney in California on a contract for the rest of the season," BC Igokea general manager Igor Dodik explained in a statement from the team.
Preston found himself in a situation similar to former UCLA player LiAngelo Ball, who, after an indefinite suspension from the program following his arrest for shoplifting on the Bruins' preseason trip to China, left college basketball to sign with Lithuanian side BC Vytautas, along with younger brother, LaMelo.
Unlike LiAngelo, a nominal bench player at UCLA, Preston was seen as a borderline NBA prospect coming out of Oak Hill Academy, garnering invitations to both the McDonald's All-American Boys Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
"We know Billy is an NBA prospect so we will do our best to continue his development to help him excel for our club and fulfill his goal which is to be an NBA star in the near future," Dodik's statement continues. "BC Igokea will find his place in NBA draft 2018!"
BC Igokea currently sits in eighth place in the 12-team league with a 6-11 record. The top four teams at the end of the 26-game regular season move on to the single-game knockout playoffs, while the bottom team in the standings is relegated to the ABA League Second Division.
Preston won't be the only American on the team as he makes the leap to the Adriatic League outpost. The team also announced the signing of former UNLV, USC, and Marquette guard Katin Reinhardt. Former Oregon and UTEP guard Dominic Artis was already in the fold.