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| | Tuesday, May 9 Trio of preps may declare for draft | |||||
| By Andy Katz ESPN.com Three high school seniors could add to the growing list of early entrants into the NBA draft if they're not eligible by May 14. NBA scouts said in Tempe, Ariz., last weekend that they fully expect to see St. John's signee Darius Miles (East St. Louis, Ill.), Kansas signee DeShawn Stevenson (Fresno, Calif.) and Mississippi State signee Mario Austin (York, Ala.) declare for the draft. Members of the St. John's coaching staff told ESPN.com that they have not been told by Miles that he will declare but expect him to if he doesn't qualify academically because of his lottery potential. The 6-8 Miles still has an outstanding test score that could determine his eligibility by May 14 - the early entry draft deadline. Stevenson's and Austin's draft status are less of a lock. Stevenson's father, Terry Popps, said DeShawn took a standardized test in Indianapolis and North Carolina during the last month. Popps said he and his wife want DeShawn to go to college, even if he's not eligible. But Stevenson has told his parents that he doesn't want to sit out. "Physically he may be ready, but he's not mentally," Terry Popps said. Stevenson would need some sort of assurance from the NBA that he would go in the first round if he were to declare by May 14. Once high school players declare for the draft, they can't attend a four-year school. Stevenson is one of the best athletes coming out of this year's senior class but he's not considered ready for the NBA. Austin is in the same category but may declare even if he doesn't get some security about his draft position. "If I'm not eligible to go to college," Austin said, "then I'll go to the NBA." Austin's Plan B of the NBA has precedent. Nine high school seniors have been drafted in the past few years. But only three -- Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady -- can be considered success stories. Rashard Lewis, Al Harrington, Jermaine O'Neal and Jonathan Bender are still unfinished projects while Korleone Young and Leon Smith can be deemed busts. Alabama signee Gerald Wallace is the fourth high school player who could join the early entry group. But Wallace has stated that he will keep his commitment to the Tide. Seniors Alton Ford (Houston signee), Jerome Harper (undecided), Eddie Griffin (Seton Hall), Darius Rice (undecided) and Caron Butler (Connecticut) are all backing away toward declaring for the draft. Harper and Butler still need to qualify academically, but are being counseled to stay in college. The waiting game While the NBA waits to see if high school players bolt, the domino effect with underclassmen continues in college. Florida's Donnell Harvey won't let it be known for another week or so if he's going to test the draft process. The Gators' coaching staff doesn't expect him to stick out the draft, if he does opt to toss his name out. Tennessee coach Jerry Green has to re-recruit junior point guard Tony Harris and sophomore forward Vincent Yarbrough. Both have yet to make their plans official. Harris wouldn't be in the first round while Yarbrough has a chance. Members of the UCLA coaching staff told ESPN.com that sophomore forward JaRon Rush may be getting cold feet about his decision to declare. Rush was overwhelmed by the attention it received last week when ESPN.com and the Los Angeles Daily News reported his decision to declare. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Jerome Moiso still needs to make a decision on whether or not he'll test the process. Texas junior center Chris Mihm is taking his time with his decision and hasn't given the Longhorns' coaching staff an indication on what he will do over the next few weeks. Feelers among NBA personnel have been received from Missouri sophomore guard Keyon Dooling and Kansas sophomore wing Luke Axtell. Ohio State guard Michael Redd is still wondering what to do, as is former Alabama sophomore forward Schea Cotton, who is at home in southern California. Meanwhile, Alvin Jones Jr., the father of Georgia Tech junior center Alvin Jones III, said his son was going to declare for the draft but has since hedged on the decision after meeting new coach Paul Hewitt. Jones said his son is enjoying the new workouts and stands 50-50 with three weeks to go. Coaching chatter Washington Wizards part-owner and president Michael Jordan made a cameo appearance in Tempe, lasting a game and a half during the Desert Classic. Jordan wasn't harassed by any autograph seekers and bolted before anyone could shine in front of him. His next move will be to hire a coach and St. John's is anxiously awaiting to see if Mike Jarvis gets the call. Sources close to Jarvis said the Wizards are probably the only NBA team that he would look at and if called, would likely accept. Meanwhile, former Georgetown coach John Thompson could be the name the New Jersey Nets may look at for a splash in the New York-New Jersey area. The only other college coaches who could be factors in job searches are Kentucky's Tubby Smith, if Atlanta calls after they make a decision on Lenny Wilkens' future, and Cincinnati's Bob Huggins. The story out of Cincinnati on Tuesday was that he denied he was pursuing NBA jobs. What the news wires didn't pick up was that Huggins didn't say he would turn a job down. If the Pistons, Pacers or Nuggets were to call, Huggins would accept, according to sources close to Huggins. Post-Phoenix fallout Malik Allen, 6-10, Sr., Villanova: Played himself into the draft with his spirited play in Phoenix. Chicago will affect his second-round status. Harold Arceneaux, 6-6, Sr., Weber State: Didn't stand out enough to be anything more than a late-second round pick or undrafted. Lamont Barnes, 6-10, Sr., Temple: Skills weren't developed enough to warrant a first-round pick and could slip out of the second round. Ryan Blackwell, 6-7, Sr., Syracuse: Failed to stand out and may be left waiting by the phone on draft day. Ed Cota, 6-2, Sr., North Carolina: Decent point guard who wasn't able to overtake Claxton, House, Guyton and Penn in Phoenix. Cota has slipped deep into the second round. Kevin Freeman, 6-7, Sr., Connecticut: Elbow injury limited his play and could prevent him from getting drafted in the second round. Eddie Gill, 6-0, Sr.,Weber State: Probably too wild to go anywhere but the CBA, but he could be a surprise pick late in the second. A.J. Granger, 6-9, Sr., Michigan State: A decent shooter with Scott Padgett-like skills are more late second round. Jason Hart, 6-3, Sr., Syracuse: Falls even further back in the point-guard rotation and probably out of the draft. Alex Jensen, 6-7, Sr., Utah: Would battle Madsen for most congenial award at Phoenix but he wasn't able to establish a buzz. Vincent Jones, 6-11, Sr., Jackson State: He weighed in at 179. That should tell you his draft status. Brandon Kurtz, 6-11, Sr., Tulsa: He can hit the mid-range shot and that skill could be enough to land a second-round pick. Lamont Long, 6-4, Sr., New Mexico: He was a late first-round pick but he's in danger of not being drafted in June after an average weekend. Pete Mickeal, 6-6, Sr., Cincinnati: Picked up his play throughout Phoenix but the defensive specialist is a middle second-round pick. Gabe Muoneke, 6-7, Sr., Texas: He can dunk and finish and he's physical enough to warrant a second-round look. Eduardo Najera, 6-8, Sr., Oklahoma: He struggled to score and get the ball in Phoenix, but his work ethic is worth a look in the second round. Chris Porter, 6-7, Sr., Auburn: He's a dunker who can run the floor and finish but doesn't have the skills to play small forward. He should go in the second round but don't be shocked if he gets overlooked. Terrance Roberson, 6-7, Sr., Fresno State: Played his best basketball in the last two games to raise himself back into the second-round picture at small forward or big guard. Pepe Sanchez, 6-4, Sr., Temple: May need surgery on his right ankle, which will take him out of Chicago and possibly the draft. Teams may wait and sign him as a free agent because of the injury. Matt Santangelo, 6-1, Sr., Gonzaga: Has the playmaking savvy and a decent shot but he's falling further back on the point guard list. Alex Scales, 6-4, Sr., Oregon: Decent athlete but may be better suited for the CBA. A.D. Smith, 6-8, Sr., Oregon: Was overwhelmed in Phoenix and could never get into a groove or get the ball. Matjas Smodis, 6-9, Slovenia: Brought in as another big body but didn't do anything to distinguish himself. Bootsy Thornton, 6-4, Sr., St. John's: Erratic shooting probably cost him a draft spot. Darnell Williams, 6-5, Sr., Xavier: He's two for two in subpar draft camps, which doesn't bode well for a second-round pick. Other early entrees Ernest Brown, 6-11, So., Indian Hills (Iowa) CC: Will make his plans official this week and could be a second-round pick because of his size and raw talent. Cory Hightower, 6-8, So., Indian Hills (Iowa) CC: A scorer who did it against junior college talent, which makes him a suspect first-round pick. Paul McPherson, 6-6, Jr., DePaul: He needs to get into Chicago to prove he belongs in the draft. Jimmie Hunter, 6-4, So., Life University: Has second-round scoring ability but may be too small to be a wing and not skilled enough to be a point. To check out the rest of the potential second-round picks from Portsmouth (Va.) two weeks ago, click here. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com | ALSO SEE NBA draft: First-round projections  | |||||