Bradley Beal To Enter Draft
9:45am: Beal has made his decision official, informing coach Billy Donovan and the Gators he won't be returning, according to Chris Harry of GatorZone.com.
"It’s my dream and it’s sitting right here in front of me," Beal said. "God has put me in this situation and I have to take advantage of it. I think I’m ready to realize this dream, so now I have to go and pursue it."
7:51am: Freshman guard Bradley Beal will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and enter the draft, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. The Florida Gator, who projects as a potential top-five pick, will announce his decision later this morning, says Goodman.
Beal, who averaged 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in Gainesville this season, was said to be on the fence about the decision shortly after the Gators were eliminated from the NCAA tournament. His father Bobby told Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun: "Some people say (leaving) is a no-brainer, but I know that he loves college, loves the atmosphere down there."
Ultimately, the chance to be a lottery pick likely convinced Beal to leave school early. DraftExpress.com calls him the fifth-best prospect in this year's draft, while ESPN.com's Chad Ford ranks him third.
You can check out Hoops Rumors' complete list of early entrants for the 2012 NBA draft here.
Draft Updates: Davis, Young, Beal, Sullinger
Anthony Davis was named the AP's college basketball Player of the Year today, and is a near-lock to be picked first overall in June's draft. The only question left for Davis at this point is whether his left knee is healthy enough to help lead Kentucky to a national title. The Wildcats are set to take on Louisville in the Final Four tomorrow night, and Davis says his knee is at "about 90%." Here are a few more of today's draft-related updates:
- Arkansas freshman B.J. Young has decided to enter the draft, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Young, who is ranked 47th among DraftExpress' top 100 prospects, has yet to hire an agent.
- Another freshman who ranks significantly higher on DraftExpress' board (fifth), Florida's Bradley Beal has yet to decide about his future. "I know it’s going to be a hard decision for him," Bobby Beal, Bradley's father, told Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun. "Some people say (leaving) is a no-brainer, but I know that he loves college, loves the atmosphere down there."
- Don't count on local favorite Jared Sullinger becoming a Cavalier, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Amico hears from a number of insiders that it would take a "perfect storm" for the Ohio State forward to end up in Cleveland.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) takes a look at the top prospects in the Final Four, while Doug Smith of the Toronto Star focuses on how Canadian players' stocks have been impacted by the NCAA tournament.
Draft Updates: Green, Beal, Kabongo, Cunningham
The Associated Press announced its All-America team today (link via ESPN.com), with Thomas Robinson of Kansas leading the way as the only unanimous selection. Kentucky's Anthony Davis, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Michigan State's Draymond Green, and Creighton's Doug McDermott rounded out the AP's picks. Three of those players are still alive in the NCAA Final Four, but most prospects with NBA aspirations are looking ahead to the June draft. Here are the latest draft updates:
- Michigan State's Green has signed with agents Ron Shade and Herb Rudoy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). ESPN.com's Chad Ford had the Spartan senior going 28th overall in his first mock draft.
- Ford also takes a look at how the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight may have affected a number of players' draft stocks (Insider link). Not good news for Harrison Barnes.
- Like Ford, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld recaps the weekend action for a few top prospects. He also adds that the Wizards are "enamored with" Bradley Beal.
- Freshman Myck Kabongo will return to Texas for his sophomore season, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports.
- Jared Cunningham of Oregon State will test the draft waters, according to Andy Katz of ESPN.com. Cunningham won't officially declare or hire an agent right away, so he'll have until April 29th to make his decision. For more details on the deadlines facing underclassmen, click here.