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| | Friday, May 12 LSU's Swift to test NBA draft waters | |||||
| By Andy Katz ESPN.com LSU sophomore forward Stromile Swift announced he will declare for the NBA draft Thursday, but could return to LSU for his junior season if he's not certain he'll be among the top three selections. LSU coach John Brady said that Swift will not sign with an agent. Brady said Swift wants to be the No. 1 player taken in the draft, or at least in the top three. But Swift won't know where he could be selected until the draft order is determined May 21. Brady said Swift will hold workouts in Baton Rouge with any NBA team holding a pick among the top six in the draft. Swift will then pay his own way to Chicago and go through the NBA's physicals June 5-6 at the pre-draft camp. Swift has until June 21 to withdraw from the draft. "He wanted to stay but this gives him a chance to see what teams are out there," said Brady. "But once he's out there in the draft, he'll be top six anyway you slice it." Brady met with Swift for three hours Thursday, two days after the pair had a meeting in which they went over Swift's summer plans. Swift had agreed to work Brady's camp this summer, the Nike camp in Indianapolis and attend Tim Grgurich's Big Man Camp in Las Vegas in late July. Swift then agreed to go to Italy with the Tigers in August. "He's going to register for an intersession too to make sure he stays eligible," Brady said. "But it's up to Stromile. I want him to do what's best for his family. He's meant a lot to this program. We won the SEC West and went to the Sweet 16. We didn't do that before Stromile came here." NBA scouts have confirmed to ESPN.com that Swift is a lock for the top six and a potential No. 1 pick, depending on the draft order. If Swift follows through on his decision, the Tigers will be left with only eight scholarship players because of NCAA sanctions related to an offense with former player Lester Earl which occurred before Brady took over. "We can't sign anyone to replace him," Brady said. "That's what will hurt our program the most." The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds last season as the Tigers reached the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. "I love being at LSU and being a part of the LSU basketball team and I have no desire to give that up, but I owe it to my family to get all of the facts about where I would be drafted if I decided to leave," Swift told the Associated Press. "There are a lot of rumors about where I would be drafted, and this just gives me a chance to get past all of the rumors and find out more facts." Swift has continued to work out with the team since the end of the season. "I'm going to do everything necessary to maintain my eligibility at LSU until I have to make a final decision," Swift told the Associated Press. "Coach Brady and his staff have been nothing but fair to me since I have been at LSU. I am going to do the same thing in return." Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | ALSO SEE Early-entry candidates for NBA draft NBA draft: First-round projections Report: Texas' Mihm jumping early to NBA  | |||||