Saben Lee drives to the basket in Vanderbilts 99-90 upset victory over LSU.
Saben Lee drives to the basket in Vanderbilt’s 99-90 upset victory over LSU.
Truman McDaniel

Junior guard Saben Lee declares for 2020 NBA Draft

Saben Lee will declare for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent.

A day after Aaron Nesmith announced his decision to enter the NBA Draft, Saben Lee followed suit. Lee did not state that he intends to hire an agent, leaving the door open for a possible return to campus.

If this is the end of Lee’s Vanderbilt career, he will finish as the school’s 23rd all-time leading scorer with 1,338 career points. This season, Lee led the Commodores in scoring with 18.6 points per game and was the fourth leading scorer in the SEC. The second team All-SEC guard also scored 30 or more points in three of his last six games.

The multiple impressive performances down the stretch started to stir up some NBA Draft buzz for Lee, but he has not consistently appeared in mock drafts. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, however, ranks Lee as the 38th overall prospect.

“First and foremost I want to thank God for allowing me to play the game that I love and allowing me to be in the position that I am in today,” Lee said in a statement on Instagram. “To God alone be the glory. After prayer, reflection and talking with my family, Coach Stackhouse and the Vanderbilt coaching staff, I have decided that it is in my best interest to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft. I want to thank Coach Stackhouse and the entire Vanderbilt coaching staff for proving endless opportunities for me to be successful this season. I also want to thank previous coaches, teammates and everyone else who has helped me throughout my journey. Lastly, I want to give a big thank you to Commodore nation. I appreciate everyone who has shown consistent support during my time at Vanderbilt. I will be a ‘Dore for life.”

Lee started the season in the sixth-man role coming off the bench, but was thrust back in the starting line-up halfway through the season because of Nesmith’s season-ending injury. The Tempe, Arizona native finished the season with 594 points, the tenth highest single season scoring effort by a Commodore ever.

 

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About the Contributors
Alyssa Muir, Former Deputy Sports Editor
Alyssa Muir ('21) was Deputy Sports Editor for The Vanderbilt Hustler. She majored in economics with minors in business and sociology. When she has free time, she can usually be found binge-watching Grey's Anatomy or rooting on her hometown teams, the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning. For tips and comments, feel free to reach out to: [email protected].    
Truman McDaniel, Former Multimedia Sports Specialist
Truman McDaniel (2023) is a student in the College of Arts & Science majoring in Environmental and Ecological Biology and Political Science. In his free time, he enjoys taking pictures, drinking coffee and watching movies. He can be reached at [email protected].    
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