Fardaws Aimaq Withdraws From 2021 NBA Draft, Announces Return To Utah Valley

Jul 7, 2021, 2:04 PM | Updated: 2:04 pm

Fardaws Aimaq - Utah Valley Wolverines...

(Courtesy of Utah Valley Athletics)

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq announced his withdrawal from the 2021 NBA Draft and his plans to return to the Wolverines for his another season.

Aimaq announced his decision during an online stream on Wednesday, July 7.

“To put it simple man, I’m coming back,” said Aimaq on the Sean Paul live stream. “I’m coming back to school! I’m ready to get to work. The feedback and everything I got was amazing. I killed every workout that I did. I impressed a lot of teams. I did a lot of little things that led to the success in the workouts. I got the feedback that I needed. I’m coming back for my junior year and I’m ready to dominate this conference and am ready to be one of the best players in the country.”

Fardaws Aimaq Draft Decision announcement https://t.co/K7qT5OCMrZ

— Sean Paul (@Sean02MTM) July 7, 2021

Recently, the UVU center put on a impressive show for NBA scouts during a Pro Day in Chicago.

During the pre-draft process, Aimaq worked out with the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks.

“The biggest thing I learned from the (NBA Draft) process was how to be a pro,” Aimaq said. “There is a lot more that goes into it than just the basketball side of things. There is a lot of off-the-court stuff. Understanding all that early on was big for myself. Simple little things like what you eat, what you watch, what you look at. All those things add up to how you do on the court. I didn’t ever really understand that. You go from city to city and workout to workout and I’ve learned that you have to keep your mind and body right. To be a pro, you really have to do all the little things.”

Last season, Aimaq led the nation in rebounding with an average of 15.0 boards per game. He was honored as the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.