Tuesday, April 24, 2007

April 24th News and Notes

According to Eyewitness News Everywhere in Memphis, Georgia Tech freshman forward Thaddeus Young is expected to declare for the NBA Draft. Young’s father, Felton Young, said that his son would not sign with an agent, leaving open the option of returning to the Yellow Jackets. He wants to see Young move up in the first-round before he officially leaves school. Young averaged 14.4 points and 4.9 rebounds this past season.

According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, LSU sophomore Tasmin Mitchell is not planning on entering his name into the NBA Draft. There had been rumors swirling around regarding his intentions, mainly ESPN.com’s Chad Ford listing Mitchell under the “50-50: Players who are still deciding about whether to declare for the draft” category on his early-entry list. “I’m not going anywhere yet,” Mitchell said. “That’s just a rumor and it’s not true. I’m working as hard as I can to get ready for next year.” Mitchell averaged 14.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this past season.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State junior guard Jamar Butler is considering entering the NBA Draft. A source said that Butler is not planning on signing with an agent, and is hoping for an invite to the pre-draft camp in Orlando. Butler’s father neither confirmed nor denied the rumor. Butler would be the lone returning starter for the Buckeyes if Mike Conley stays in the NBA Draft. Greg Oden has already signed with an agent, and Ron Lewis and Ivan Harris were seniors. Butler averaged 8.5 points and 3.6 assists per game last season.

According to Jeff Goodman of
FOX Sports, high school recruit Alex Legion is planning on signing with Kentucky. "It's a done deal," said a source close to the situation. Legion is one of the nation’s top unsigned seniors, and is ranked in the Top 50 nationally by most recruiting services. He originally signed with Michigan on two occasions, but most recently reneged on his commitment due to the coaching change.

CSTV.com’s Bryan Graham looks at six rising sophomores that should have breakout campaigns next season. He discusses budding stars like California’s Ryan Anderson and Davidson’s Stephen Curry as well as role players such as Arizona’s Jordan Hill. Graham states, “The unprecedented depth of this year's landmark freshman class might not hit home until next season.”

Todd Jones of The Columbus Dispatch writes that the loss of Mike Conley will hurt Ohio State more than the loss of Greg Oden. He states, “Who's going to handle the ball in the backcourt and feed the Buckeyes' bevy of big men?” He discusses how Thad Matta did not recruit with the thought that Conley would leave after one year, and that the Buckeyes do not have a true point guard on their roster outside of Jamar Butler.

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