Iowa's Joe Wieskamp to keep his name in the NBA Draft

After his performance at the NBA Combine in Chicago last week, Iowa's Joe Wieskamp had a decision to make: Return to Iowa for another year, or keep his name in the NBA Draft.

On Friday he made it official. 

Wieskamp announced from his Twitter account that he intends to keep his name in the draft pool. Prospects who had not signed an agent had until July 7 to make the decision. 

A quick glance at his combine performance tells why Wieskamp is trying his NBA chances. 

More:Leistikow: At NBA Combine, Iowa's Joe Wieskamp proves he's ready for the next level

Wieskamp arrived to Chicago standing 6-foot-7¼ in shoes and weighed 204.3 pounds at 4.1% body fat. He jumped 42 inches in the vertical and had a lane agility time of 10.7 seconds (both marks were fourth among 55 participants). 

On the court, he performed as well. In both days of 5-on-5s, he was a starter on his team and in the second day scored 22 points on 6-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. 

ESPN’s announcers raved about Wieskamp both days, usually a signal they’re hearing the same from scouts. Jay Bilas said simply: "He’s a player. I really like him."

More:NBA Combine: See how Joe Wieskamp, Luka Garza looked before the 2021 NBA draft

Coming into the draft, Wieskamp's draft grade was in the second-round range. After the combine his stock will likely improve, as he showed an ability to shoot the 3 at a high level and the athleticism to defend on the perimeter. 

The 2021 NBA Draft is scheduled for July 29 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

Kennington Smith is the new Iowa Hawkeyes beat writer for the Des Moines Register. You can connect with Kennington on Twitter @SkinnyKenny_ or email him at ksmith@gannett.com