Apr

7

IU’s Gordon To Enter NBA Draft

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under Slam Dunk NCAA 

?????????????????????

In what is not exactly a secret, especially in the state of Indiana, Indiana University freshman guard Eric Gordon, according to the Associated Press, will forego his future college eligibility as he is entering the 2008 NBA draft; although he hasn’t signed with an agent yet, his father, Eric Gordon, Sr. said that he intended to sign with one in the very near future.?

This move was expected as many who have been following Gordon had predicted that he would jump to the NBA after his freshman season at IU; he is currently being projected as a Top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.? He would be the second freshman to forego his college eligibility to declare for the NBA draft, along with Arizona freshman Jerryd Bayless; other possible freshman NCAA players who may opt for the NBA draft include Michael Beasley of Kansas State, Kevin Love of UCLA, Derrick Rose of Memphis and USC guard O.J. Mayo.

Gordon led the Big Ten in scoring at 20.9 PPG, set school and Big Ten freshman records in scoring with 669 points and made the third-most free throws by a Hoosier in a single season with 231; he also tied former Hoosier Mike Woodson’s school record for the most 30-point games by a freshman with 3 and won the conference’s freshman of the year award.? Gordon’s decision more than likely was hastened by the fact that? former Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson had resigned, not to mention the promotion of Dan Dakich to interim coach, 3 player suspensions and an early exit from the NCAA basketball tournament.

Assuming that Gordon remains in the NBA draft, Hoosier coach Tom Crean will have his hands full, as he will have the task of replacing at least 3 and quite possibly all 5 starters from last season’s squad.? The Hoosiers lost seniors D.J. White and Lance Stemler to graduation and Dakich kicked off the team guards Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis; whether current coach Crean will reinstate the pair is pretty much up in the air at this point.? But regardless, the Hoosiers will have a lot of rebuilding to do, and a sub-.500 record is very much within the realm of possibility in light of the recent developments in Bloomington.



Comments

Leave a Reply