Originally published April 27, 2007 at midnight, updated April 27, 2007 at 4:15 p.m.
Brandon Rush dipped his toe into an already crowded NBA Draft pool on Friday morning.
Rush, a sophomore guard, filed paperwork that declares himself eligible for this year's draft. It doesn't mean he's left Kansas yet, though. He has until June 18 to withdraw his name and return to college.
Coach Bill Self said on Friday afternoon that his return at this point is an unlikely scenario.
“I think that whenever guys declare that are going to be high draft picks, I think it’s difficult for a lot of those guys to come back,” Self said. “The team we have returning right now is our team. Anything else would be a bonus.”
Rush was unavailable for comment. He left for a weekend vacation after filing the paperwork, and does not plan on holding a press conference to discuss his decision.
On Wednesday, he met with Self for more than two hours, going over what various scouts said about his draft position and what he could gain by staying for another year.
At the end of the meeting, Rush told the coach that he would declare for the draft, but hold off on hiring an agent.
“Obviously that was something he was wanting to do,” Self said. “You see people all over the country doing it. It’s a popular thing to do.”
This year’s draft is already being called one of the best ever, and features some of the best underclassmen since the trend of leaving college early began in the 1990’s.
Rush will attend the pre-draft camp in Orlando at the end of May. The camp is the first time that NBA teams can interview with players. It will be Rush’s second time at the camp. He also attended after he graduated high school.
“He performed really well the first time around,” Self said. “I’m sure that’s a high-anxiety event, and I’m sure he will be a little bit calmer because he knows what to expect.”
After the camp, Rush can visit NBA teams individually, but he must pay for the visits himself to retain his college eligibility.
Self is already preparing for next season’s team with the assumption that it will not include Rush, something that he’s been expecting for a while.
“We were hopeful to get him for one year when we signed him,” Self said. “To get two years was a bonus.”
— Kansan.com will have updates on this story all weekend long.
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Comments
Brandon Rush declares for NBA Draft
Of course, the Star reports this morning that he is leaving. Two years ago I wrote in the UDK that I felt he wouldn't stay around, and that he didn't consider education a big deal--heck, he didn't even show up on campus for the first two weeks of classes. Bill, glad you believe all your prospects' bull they feed you. BTW, let's all go take a "vacation" for the weekend, since I'm sure we can get s.o. to write all those pesky papers and do our homework for us. That's what the Athletic Dept. hires all those student hourlies for, right?
Brandon Rush declares for NBA Draft
If Mr. Rush wants to be a star in the NBA, he better spend more time on his shot and less time smoking weed.
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