Villanova guard Mark Armstrong has announced, in conjunction with Montgomery Sports Group, that he will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility.
Armstrong averaged 8.4 points, 2.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game during the 2023-24 season, shooting 41.7% overall, 28.2% from three and 77.6% from the line. His best effort of the season was a 24-point outing against Marquette, and he scored in double figures in each of Villanova's final three games of the season.
Regardless of Armstrong's draft prospects for this June, this feels like a smart move. He'll get to go through the NBA evaluation process and receive valuable feedback while maintaining the ability to return to college. It's somewhat surprising we don't see more players take advantage of this option.
Perhaps more interesting in terms of Villanova interests, there is no mention of the transfer portal in this announcement. Typically when a player makes this decision, it also comes with an announcement about entering the portal if the player intends to do so. While Armstrong could certainly make a portal announcement later, the fact that it is not included here seems to be a strong indication he will return to the Main Line if he elects to return to college.