Washington was hoping to become the 54th player in school history to be drafted.
Although some mock drafts projected him to be a late second-round pick, former Ohio State guard Duane Washington was not selected in Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-3 and 210-pound Washington came to Columbus as a three-star prospect from Grand Rapids, Mich., by way of Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon. He averaged 11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 94 career games with the Buckeyes from 2018-21.
Washington had a breakout junior season in 2020-21, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors after averaging a team-high 16.4 points per game. That includes 92 points across four games at the conference tournament, an event record.
After the season, Washington declared for the NBA Draft after the season and left the door open for a return to school. However, strong performances at the G League Elite Camp and NBA Draft Combine in late June made him comfortable with taking the next step in his career.
Washington, the son of the former professional basketball player of the same name and nephew of five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, will now hope to latch on with a team as an undrafted free agent. It’s worth nothing that he had individual workouts with the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves while at the combine.
That said, the Buckeyes have not had a player drafted since Keita Bates-Diop in 2018.
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