Thursday, April 26, 2007
Depending on who you listen to, Brandon Rush has declared for the NBA Draft, decided to stay in school or is still torn.
About the only thing he hasn’t done is announce he’s running for the presidency. Given this week’s events, it would probably take more than that to shock Jayhawk fans.
This is what is known: Rush, a sophomore guard, has until midnight on Sunday to decide if he wants to make himself eligible for this year’s NBA Draft. If he does, he still has the option of backing out before June 18, provided he doesn’t hire an agent.
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If he remained at Kansas, Rush would be the star on next year’s team in the absence of forward Julian Wright, who is leaving for the NBA. Freshman forward Darrell Arthur would also play a big role in the offense, assuming Wright’s starting spot.
Kansas coach Bill Self met with Rush on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation. Rush has been meeting regularly with Self throughout the process to seek the coach’s advice. He’s also talked to his brother Kareem, who played in the NBA for five years. But there’s been no word as to when a decision will be made.
Rush has previously said that he would enter the draft if he would be taken among the top 20 picks. That goal looks increasingly unlikely as several underclassmen declare their draft eligibility. Currently, NBA scouts are projecting that Rush will be taken in the late first round or early second round.
The difference between a first and second-round pick is huge. First-round players — the first 30 picks — receive a guaranteed two-year contract worth at least a million dollars. Second-round players receive nothing. They must negotiate with the team that selected them for their contract and are not even guaranteed to make the team.
But projecting at this point is more of an art than a science. Of the top 30 picks, as many as 20 might be college underclassmen, and any of them could withdraw their names before June 18, improving Rush’s position.
If he remained at Kansas, Rush would be the star on next year’s team in the absence of forward Julian Wright, who is leaving for the NBA. Freshman forward Darrell Arthur would also play a big role in the offense, assuming Wright’s starting spot.
In recent days, rumors have begun to pick up that Arthur is beginning to consider entering the draft himself, but both he and Self have said that he will be around for another season.
The same can’t be said of Rush. The waiting game will likely continue through May, which would make it difficult for Self to replace Rush if he left for the NBA. Most of the top recruits will have already committed to schools by then.
An announcement will come by the end of the week, but if that announcement is that Rush is making himself eligible, it doesn’t resolve the question of where Rush will be come August.
Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com.
— Edited by Jyl Unruh
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