Justin Bean declares for 2022 NBA Draft
LOGAN – Utah State basketball’s star forward Justin Bean has declared for the NBA Draft. Bean, a senior this season, will forgo his final year of eligibility with the program that he gained from the pandemic and make the jump to professional basketball.
Bean will end his career at Utah State as the second leading all-time rebounder, second in career double-doubles and as one of three Aggies to total over 1,000 rebounds during his career. He was also named to an All-Mountain West team three times, Mountain West All-Defense twice and All-Mountain West Tournament team once.
During his senior season, Bean led the Aggies with 17.4 points per game, 1.6 steals per game and 9.9 rebounds per game. Bean also had a team-leading 46.5% three-point shooting percentage this season after shooting just 23.8% from deep last season.
After months of speculation, Bean announced his decision Wednesday morning through his social media pages.
— Justin Bean (@justinbean34) March 23, 2022
“I’ll always be an Aggie. As true-blooded as they come,” Bean said in his posts. “The road that got me to where I am now was challenging, but it couldn’t have been more rewarding.”
Bean has been at Utah State for five years, playing for four years after an initial redshirt season. He joined the Aggies as a walk-on in 2017 before earning a scholarship spot later in his career.
Bean’s departure will leave a gaping hole in USU’s basketball program, both on the court and especially in the locker room. His leadership and drive have been a huge part of the Aggies success in recent years.
“What an amazing example of what college basketball is supposed to be all about. Great student, great family man. Loves his immediate family, he cherishes his wife,” head coach Ryan Odom said following the Mountain West Tournament loss to Colorado State. “He comes to work in our program every single day and he sets the example of how a Utah State player should behave.”
While being a role model for the team off the court, Bean has taken center stage for the Aggies on the court. With Sam Merrill and Neemias Queta both off to the NBA, Bean felt the urgency to step up this season and become the top guy.
With all the work he put in, Bean always had the NBA in his mind this season after getting consistent national attention.
“Yeah, it’s definitely humbling to see people take notice of the work that I put in these last four years and to even be considered as an NBA prospect,” Bean said during a prior interview with The Statesman. “Just makes you want to work that much harder; don’t take any days off and just take advantage of those opportunities.”
Bean will be represented by Priority Sports, the same agency that represents former Utah State guard Sam Merrill. He will spend the next couple of months working out in Chicago and working out with different teams ahead of the NBA Draft that starts on Thursday, June 23.