Tacoma’s Malachi Flynn, former Bellarmine Prep star, declares for NBA Draft
Following a breakout season at San Deigo State, Malachi Flynn, a former standout at Bellarmine Prep High School, will enter the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Tacoma native wrapped up his junior season with the Aztecs last month averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
He was a consensus All-American, named the Mountain West Player of the Year and had San Diego State — which was 30-2 following its conference tournament, opened the season 26-0 with Flynn as its starting point guard and leading scorer — poised for a deep postseason run before the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly canceled the NCAA Tournament in March.
“After receiving feedback from NBA teams and after thoughtful conversations with my family and Coach (Brian) Dutcher, I have decided to forgo my senior season and have declared for the NBA draft,” Flynn recently told ESPN.
“I have immensely enjoyed my two seasons at San Diego State. The bond that has been forged with my teammates during this magical season will never be broken. I am grateful to my teammates, coaching staff and university for helping me become the basketball player and man I am today.”
Flynn’s draft stock rapidly rose during his one season playing for the Aztecs. He redshirted the 2018-19 season at San Diego State after transferring from Washington State, but made an immediate impact on the floor this winter, and was eventually named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award.
He is currently projected as a second-round pick by NBADraft.net, and is expected to be selected in the top 50 overall. It is possible, if Flynn had been able to play in March Madness this year, he would have boosted his position further.
Flynn told ESPN the appeal of possibly playing in the tournament next year was something he was considered when deciding whether or not to declare, but he ultimately decided “it was time to make that step and move forward to the NBA.”
“I showed NBA teams that I’m a winner, that I play the point guard position with a high IQ,” he said. “I showed them how well I can play on and off the ball. That I can score, but also get teammates involved. I showed teams that I can defend bigger and smaller guys.”
Flynn, who is now 6-foot-1, continued to display the high basketball IQ and sharp-shooting in his one season with the Aztecs that he was known for at both WSU and Bellarmine.
With the Cougars, Flynn averaged 9.7 points, 2.9 assists as a freshman and 15.8 points, 4.3 assists as a sophomore before transferring to San Diego State.
He was The News Tribune’s All-Area player of the year as a high school senior in 2016, averaging 29.7 points per game while shooting 48% from the floor and 88% from the free throw line.
Flynn’s 743 points scored as a senior set the Bellarmine Prep single-season mark, breaking the previous record set by current Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley (722 in 2008). Flynn’s 1,625 total points in high school trail only Abdul Gaddy’s 1,985 in Bellarmine’s record book.
Flynn was also named the state player of the year for all classifications by the Associated Press as a senior, the Class 4A player of the year by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association and the 4A Narrows League MVP.
Flynn is currently home in Tacoma awaiting the draft, which is scheduled for June 25.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 5:46 PM.
