Wendell Carter Jr. undecided on entering NBA draft, parents say

The parents of Duke freshman center Wendell Carter Jr. told ESPN's The Undefeated on Wednesday morning that their son is still undecided about entering the 2018 NBA draft.

While his parents have opposite views, both say they are not pressuring their teenager to make a decision.

"I told him I wanted him to come back [to school]," Carter's mom, Kylia, told The Undefeated. "His jaw dropped. It has nothing to do with basketball. It's about you. It's about who he is. He is a student at core. Yes, he is a great basketball player. But he's an 18-year-old kid. He is having a tug with a heart and his mind. I don't feel for him because I think it's good for him that he is going through this struggle. It's his decision. He has to live with it."

Wendell Carter Sr. said it is his son's decision, but "I have always tried to keep Wendell ahead of any curve. ... I think it would be a good decision for him to go."

Carter Jr. has been expected to join Marvin Bagley, Trevon Duval and Gary Trent Jr.in leaving Duke after just one college basketball season.

Carter, a 6-foot-10, 259-pounder, is listed as the eighth-best prospect in the draft by ESPN's Jonathan Givony. Carter has interviewed agents already through NCAA compliance at Duke, but has not committed. He has until April 22 to decide to apply for the draft.

"He will be much better pro. He's tough, rebounds well, a big body and he can stretch the floor with his jump shot," one NBA scout told The Undefeated.

ESPN ranked Carter as the No. 4 overall recruit and the nation's top power forward in the 2017 high school class. He chose Duke over Harvard.

The Atlanta native averaged 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and shot 56.1 percent from the floor for the Blue Devils last season. He scored a season-high 27 points against Evansville on Dec. 20. If he stays at Duke, Carter -- the son of two former college basketball players -- will been joined by a recruiting class with the three top high school players in the country: R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish.

Carter has previously told his parents that he would continue to work to get his college degree even if he left school early for the NBA. The Carters said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is not putting any pressure on their son and will support his decision either way.

While acknowledging it's a business decision, Kylia Carter believes her son will become a better leader and more confident person if he returns to Duke.

She said she told her son: "If you came back it would make you a better person, improve your quality of life."