Men’s Basketball: Chase Audige, Pete Nance go undrafted in 2023 NBA Draft
Daily file photo by Gabe Binder
Former Northwestern forward Pete Nance hugs Chase Audige. Despite Nance and Audige both going undrafted in this year’s NBA draft, there will be opportunities in the upcoming weeks for both players to exhibit their potential at the professional level.
June 22, 2023
The 2023 NBA draft had opportunities for former guard Chase Audige and forward Pete Nance to get drafted and land a spot on an NBA team. However, both former Northwestern star players did not hear their name called, going undrafted.
Audige initially announced he would declare for the NBA draft April 9. He further solidified himself in the process, forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility in the waning hours of the June 1 deadline. The guard had a career year for the Cats this past season, averaging 14.1 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 steals, propelling NU towards a historic season and its second-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
Despite going undrafted, Audige has options ahead. The 2023 Co-Defensive Player of the Year had a workout with the Atlanta Hawks the morning he decided to remain in the draft, suggesting NBA teams continue to have him on their radar.
Nance, who initially declared for the NBA draft last year before removing his name from the list after pre-draft workouts, also went undrafted this year. After being a leading scorer for four seasons at NU, Nance was a graduate student transfer to North Carolina. The former Cat forward averaged 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in his four seasons at Northwestern, before posting an average of 10 points and 6 rebounds this past season at Chapel Hill.
Like Audige, Nance had workouts with NBA teams — including the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans — leaving the door open to a possibility of opportunities in the upcoming weeks.
This year’s draft results are just another year in which NU did not have a player selected. The last Cat to be drafted was center Evan Eschmeyer in the second round of the 1999 NBA draft. NU has had only one player selected in the first round, when guard Rex Walters was selected 16th overall by the New Jersey Nets in 1993.
However, going undrafted may not be the end of either player’s story as a professional player. Undrafted players can still be successful in the NBA. This year’s eastern conference champion, the Miami Heat, had seven undrafted players on their roster, with many playing pivotal roles in the team’s pursuit of a championship.
While Thursday’s results may be disappointing for Audige and Nance, there will still be an ample amount of opportunities in the upcoming weeks for both players to land a spot on an NBA roster. Through post-draft workouts, the players can sign as undrafted free agents, on two-way deals. At the same time, both former Cats can exhibit their potential in the NBA Summer League later in July.
If Audige and Nance continue to stay the course, there is a high chance that both of their professional basketball careers will continue in the future.
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