No surprise: Mercurial guard White to explore NBA Draft
from: clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger | Jackson, MS news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Jackson, MS, Mississippi
OXFORD — Terrico White, the undeniably talented but inconsistent Ole Miss sophomore, has entered his name into the NBA Draft.
But the 6-foot-5 guard left open the possibility of returning to the Rebels for his junior season because he has not yet hired an agent. He has until May 8 to withdraw his name.
The draft is June 24 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
"I have decided to enter the NBA Draft and explore the possibilities that are out there for me as a player," White said in a statement released by the school.
White was not made available for interviews. UM coach Andy Kennedy did not have further comment outside of the university release.
"We encouraged him to utilize this process in hopes of him gaining valuable insight and experience," he said.
Friday's news that White was considering his pro potential is not a surprise. His two years with the Rebels have spawned several cameos on ESPN's SportsCenter thanks to a prodigious leaping ability that produces plenty of poster-quality dunks.
At almost every game last season, there were a handful of pro scouts.
He seriously considered entering the NBA following his freshman season, when he was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after scoring more than 18 points per game during conference play.
Over the summer, he helped lead the United States Under-19 team to a gold medal in the world championships.
But he struggled during his sophomore season, which finished in New York last week with Ole Miss' loss to Dayton in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals.
Though he averaged 15.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, he often disappeared during long stretches of games, especially in conference play.
In 16 SEC games, White scored only 11.9 points per game, shooting just 41 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range. Kennedy openly challenged White multiple times, with varying levels of success.
He finished the season well, averaging 21 points during the Rebels' four-game NIT run.
White is considered the nation's 29th-best NBA prospect according to ESPN.com draft analyst Chad Ford.
Since the NBA has 30 teams, that would put White right on the borderline of the first and second rounds.
Only first-round NBA contracts are guaranteed.
White's decision is crucial to the future of the Ole Miss basketball program.
With him, the Rebels would certainly appear to have a better chance of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. They lose only one senior off of this year's team - forward DeAundre Cranston - while adding transfer Nick Williams and prized freshmen Demarco Cox and Dundrecous Nelson to the roster.
imho, turner or wall sa # 1 pick..
hala si Ed Davis nideclare
another one of my favorites declaring....
NewsOK
Similar Threads |
|