Peter Jok vies for shot at NBA

IOWA CITY — Iowa shooting guard Peter Jok has elected to go through the NBA draft evaluation process and potentially pass up his senior season with the Hawkeyes.

Jok will not hire an agent. According to new NCAA rules, players can compete in workouts and talk with officials at the NBA scouting combine in May. Jok would have up to 10 days after the combine to withdraw from the NBA draft and return to school.

'The rules regarding exploring NBA opportunities are different than they have ever been,' Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said in a statement. 'Peter wants to take advantage of those opportunities, and we fully support him.'

The news was first reported by Des Moines broadcaster Marty Tirrell of 1700 The Champ.

Jok, a 6-foot-6 junior, was one of the Big Ten's top shooting guards this season. He finished eighth in Big Ten scoring at 16.1 points a game. In league-only action, Jok was sixth at 17.3 points. In Big Ten action he was third in steals (1.5), fourth in free-throw percentage (85.1), fourth in 3-point shooting percentage (42.3) and fourth in 3-pointers made per game (2.6). He was named second-team all-Big Ten after the season.

In one of the season's highlight individual performances, Jok scored 29 points in the Hawkeyes' 68-66 loss to Illinois in a Big Ten Tournament game. Jok scored 15 consecutive points for Iowa in a six-possession span lasting 3 minutes, 20 seconds. He scored 27 points in 11:22.

Jok, who attended both Des Moines Roosevelt and West Des Moines Valley high schools, was one of the most highly sought recruits as a youth before tearing a patella tendon in his knee as a freshman. It took him several years to regain his form. Entering his senior year, only Iowa and Drake offered Jok a scholarship. Jok then signed with Iowa.

He played sparingly as a freshman, averaging 4.4 points and 9.4 minutes in 27 games. Jok then played 16 minutes and scored 10 points in the Hawkeyes' NCAA tournament loss to Tennessee. Jok earned a starting job early into his sophomore season. He put up 7.0 points a game.

The potential loss adds to a significant number of departures to the Iowa basketball program, which finished 22-11 this year. Four starters already exhausted their eligibility.

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