Buckeyes' Redd may take shot at NBA
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- Ohio State junior guard Michael Redd could be the next to declare for the NBA draft, but unlike DerMarr Johnson, Erick Barkley and Paul McPherson, Redd could be back on a college campus next fall.
Ohio State's coaching staff told ESPN.com that Redd is still 50-50 on his decision process, but wouldn't be surprised if he declared by May 14 and then tested the draft process.
|  | | Michael Redd may leave Ohio State after his junior year -- but return to Columbus. |
NBA scouts have told the Buckeyes that Redd is a late first-round to second-round pick. If that's the case, Redd could pull a Jamaal Magloire this spring. The Kentucky center declared last spring, went to the Chicago pre-draft camp, saw he wasn't a lottery pick and returned for his senior season.
NCAA-member players have the option to return to school once they declare, but only if they do it a week before the June 28 draft -- in other words, by June 21.
Redd would have a hard time getting away for the Chicago pre-draft camp. Ohio State is on the quarter system and has school during the draft camp. If Redd left for the camp, he would jeopardize his eligibility by missing too much school. With that being the case, Redd could be forced to make a
decision around May 14.
Six underclassmen have declared for the draft: Cincinnati freshman Johnson, DePaul junior McPherson (who will make it official Thursday), St. John's sophomore Barkley, Minnesota sophomore Joel Przybilla (who quit the team in February) and Indian Hills (Iowa) CC sophomores Ernest Brown (an Iowa State signee) and Cory Hightower (a TCU signee).
High school seniors and junior college players can't play at a four-year NCAA school if they officially declare for the NBA draft.
Johnson's departure hurts the Bearcats' perimeter shooting, but may damage Johnson's game even more. He won't get the chance to develop his game sufficiently at the college level, and risks becoming just another NBA player.
Johnson will still be a high first-round pick, potentially in the lottery. Barkley is a mid- to late-first round pick, but the Red Storm have signee Omar Cook coming in next season at the point.
McPherson, in DePaul's doghouse for most of the season, is a likely second-round pick. Przybilla is a high first-round pick, but mainly because of his size at center. Hightower is a potential first-round pick because of his scoring ability, while Brown, his potential unknown, could drop to the second round.
Redd is one of the 13 NCAA underclassmen who have to make a decision on whether or not to return to school. These 13 players have dropped hints for one reason or another that they may test the draft process: DePaul sophomore Quentin Richardson; Connecticut junior Khalid El-Amin; Temple junior Mark Karcher; Florida sophomore Mike Miller; UCLA sophomore Jerome Moiso; Texas junior Chris Mihm; Alabama sophomore Schea Cotton, who left school; Notre Dame sophomore Troy Murphy; Iowa State junior Marcus Fizer; Missouri sophomore Keyon Dooling; SMU junior Jeryl Sasser; and UCLA sophomore JaRon Rush.
Five high school players have to make final decisions: Alabama signee Gerald Wallace (Childersburg, Ala.); Houston signee Alton Ford (Houston); St. John's signee Darius Miles (East St. Louis, Ill.), Kansas signee DeShawn Stevenson (Fresno, Calif.) and former Cincinnati signee Jerome Harper (Columbia, S.C.). Miles, Stevenson and Harper still need to qualify academically, which could affect their decision.
Seven players have publicly stated they will return next season: Arizona junior Loren Woods, Iowa State junior Jamaal Tinsley, North Carolina junior Brendan Haywood, Duke junior Shane Battier, LSU sophomore Stromile Swift, Maryland junior Terence Morris and Michigan freshman Jamal Crawford.
Coaching chatter
The hottest name at the Final Four in day one wasn't Tulsa's Bill Self, but Division II national champion Mike Dunlap of Metro (Colo.) State. Dunlap officially withdrew from the Loyola Marymount search and is now atop the list at Colorado State to replace Ritchie McKay.
Dunlap could meet with Colorado State athletics director Tim Weiser this week. Also on Weiser's hit list are: Texas-San Antonio coach Tim Carter; Oklahoma assistant Ray Lopes; Arizona assistant Jay John; Long Beach State coach Wayne Morgan; former Nebraska coach Danny Nee; former Air Force coach Reggie Minton; Kentucky assistant Shawn Finney; UCLA assistant Jim Saia; and Arizona State assistant Tony Benford.
Meanwhile, Dunlap's departure means the Lions will likely hire Eastern Washington coach Steve Aggers. If Aggers doesn't pan out, Utah assistant Donny Daniels could be next on Loyola Marymount athletics director William Husak's list.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. |
