Brandon Rush withdrew from the NBA draft, but that doesn't mean he's off to college.
Amir Johnson stayed in, but that doesn't mean he's going in the first round.
Rush, a wing from Mount Zion Christian Academy (N.C.), had a successful run in the Chicago predraft camp. NBA personnel were intrigued with his candidacy for the draft, albeit as a second-round prospect. Rush wasn't able to garner any first-round interest, so he pulled out of the draft Tuesday.
But according to multiple sources, he has college eligibility issues.
The unsigned Rush said in Chicago that he would go to Oklahoma, Illinois or Missouri if he withdrew from the draft, but sources close to the recruiting process told ESPN.com Tuesday night that Oklahoma wouldn't pursue him because he isn't likely to be eligible. Sources said he would likely end up at a junior college or maybe even a prep school for a year before going into the NBA draft in 2006.
Rush got the necessary exposure to put his name high on draft lists for next season. His status could change if he applies himself in the next month, but it appears unlikely.
Johnson, on the other hand, opted for staying in the draft even though he doesn't have a first-round guarantee. The Louisville signee said after a workout in Chicago two weeks ago that he would consider going to Louisville if he were drafted in the second round. That seems unlikely, though, since he still needs to get eligible and he continues to be advised by SFX, a sports agency.
The agency still is hoping to land him in the first round, and all indications are that the Westchester (Calif.) High center will be in the NBA next season, not at Louisville.
The two biggest surprises from Tuesday? Steven Smith's returning to La Salle and Arkansas' Olu Famutimi's opting to stay in the draft. Smith is looking to be a first-round lock after his senior year. Famutimi clearly just wants to be a professional, no matter the consequences.
Smith likely was a lock for the second round after a solid performance in Chicago. He worked out for local teams New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia -- so he wouldn't have to incur any added expenses. In Chicago, Smith even said he wouldn't mind being a second-round pick.
But Smith realized he could do more with his career, and even though he already has his degree from La Salle, he wants to be an NBA first-round pick, not someone trying to go into the league the hard way.
"It just feels right. I don't want to sell myself short. I've been put through a lot here at La Salle," Smith said, referring to the rape scandal that involved three members of the team and led to the firing of coach Billy Hahn. "But if I put in even more hard work, then I'll be a first-round pick."
In return, Smith is being rewarded for his loyalty to La Salle and second-year coach John Giannini. Giannini, who went to Chicago to watch Smith work out, told ESPN.com that he would move Smith more to small forward in his lineup, allowing him to show the face-up skills he displayed in Chicago.
Smith would have to be a small forward in the NBA, instead of the low-block player he is in the A-10. Smith, who averaged 21 points and eight rebounds last season, led the Explorers to a 5-5 finish in their last 10 games. They finished 10-19 (5-11 A-10).
"Steve goes into next year as a household name, an All-American candidate who showed dramatic improvement," Giannini said. "He showed he's got NBA perimeter skills. It will be hard to double him next year on the perimeter. You don't see teams double a player on the perimeter. That's where he'll be playing."
Giannini said, by his count, Smith attempted more 3-pointers last season (157) than any other forward at the draft camp.
Winners on withdrawal day
The Big East: West Virginia, Pitt and Notre Dame might pick up some television games. The Mountaineers get back Kevin Pittsnogle, the Panthers could return Carl Krauser (pending academics) and Torin Francis is back in the post for the Irish. Also, Georgetown got Brandon Bowman back, meaning the Hoyas are an NCAA bid contender.
The only major hit was at Connecticut, where signee Andrew Bynum opted to stay in the draft. The Huskies are loaded up front, so his loss won't be as much of a hit. Cincinnati also will still be a contender now that James White and Armein Kirkland are returning. Louisville won't get signee Amir Johnson, but he might not have been eligible anyway.
The A-10: OK, so Dwayne Jones skipped out on Saint Joseph's next season. He did graduate and is convinced he'll be a second-round pick, at the very least. But George Washington has a shot to be a top-20 team now that Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Mike Hall are back, while La Salle will be a player with the return of Smith, a possible A-10 player of the year.
Big Ten: Illinois' Dee Brown broke his foot, so the Big Ten player of the year is back -- and that means the Illini won't drop off the map next season.
Losers on withdrawal day
ACC: Wake Forest got Eric Williams to return but Georgia Tech lost Jarrett Jack. Duke may or may not be better off without Shavlik Randolph. It's one less headache because Josh McRoberts was going to play significant minutes anyway.
SEC: Alabama got Jermareo Davidson to return but Kentucky lost center Randolph Morris and Florida took a major hit by losing Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson. Auburn is losing Toney Douglas to another school. Douglas withdrew from the draft but won't be returning to the Tigers, so the whole draft process wasn't much fun for the Tigers. The aforementioned Famutimi is gone, creating a bit of a shooting guard hole for Arkansas.
Pac-10: Stanford gets point Chris Hernandez back in the lineup to challenge for the title. But the best player in the league -- Arizona State's Ike Diogu -- is gone. The Sun Devils' newcomers will make them more athletic, but they will be younger and less experienced next season.
Big 12: Texas is still going to contend for the league title, but C.J. Miles' decision to stay in the draft is still perplexing since he's not a lock for the first round. The Longhorns will miss his scoring punch if he doesn't come to Austin. Missouri will be younger and inexperienced, much like ASU, now that Linas Kleiza is staying in the draft. The only positive was Texas A&M signee Martellus Bennett's decision to play football and hoops in College Station instead of remaining in the draft.
For previous Daily Word entries, see Andy Katz's column archive.
Andy Katz
