Post by elp525 on Apr 22, 2011 4:56:51 GMT -5
April 21, 2011
By Dave Hickman
The Charleston Gazette
Kevin Jones has declared himself eligible for the NBA draft.
That doesn't mean, however, that West Virginia's 6-foot-8 junior won't be back for his senior season in 2011-12. While the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Sunday, the more significant target date is May 8.
That's the deadline for those who have declared to withdraw their name and retain their college eligibility.
"Kevin will go through the process in a systematic and professional manner by exploring the situation and leaving open his option to come back," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said in a statement released by the university Thursday afternoon. "If he decides there is an opportunity out there for him, he will have 100 percent support of
the Mountaineer basketball program as was the case with Joe Alexander and Devin Ebanks."
Jones is now eligible to work out for individual teams during the brief two-week period between the two significant deadlines. In those workouts players are evaluated and the league and the teams are able to give the players an idea of where -- or if -- they might be drafted should they remain in the pool.
It is not uncommon for players to declare, work out, discover first-hand what NBA teams feel they need to work on and then return to school to do just that. It was a more involved process in years previous to last spring when the deadline for withdrawing was moved from June to early May.
Jones averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior after averaging 13.5 points as a sophomore.
By Dave Hickman
The Charleston Gazette
Kevin Jones has declared himself eligible for the NBA draft.
That doesn't mean, however, that West Virginia's 6-foot-8 junior won't be back for his senior season in 2011-12. While the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Sunday, the more significant target date is May 8.
That's the deadline for those who have declared to withdraw their name and retain their college eligibility.
"Kevin will go through the process in a systematic and professional manner by exploring the situation and leaving open his option to come back," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said in a statement released by the university Thursday afternoon. "If he decides there is an opportunity out there for him, he will have 100 percent support of
the Mountaineer basketball program as was the case with Joe Alexander and Devin Ebanks."
Jones is now eligible to work out for individual teams during the brief two-week period between the two significant deadlines. In those workouts players are evaluated and the league and the teams are able to give the players an idea of where -- or if -- they might be drafted should they remain in the pool.
It is not uncommon for players to declare, work out, discover first-hand what NBA teams feel they need to work on and then return to school to do just that. It was a more involved process in years previous to last spring when the deadline for withdrawing was moved from June to early May.
Jones averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior after averaging 13.5 points as a sophomore.
