So we guess that that source who told the Chron that DeVon Hardin would stay in the NBA Draft was a little overzealous. Maybe. Just a little bit.
The Mercury-News is reporting that Hardin, though he thinks he can be a first-round draft pick, has taken his name out of the NBA Draft and will return to Cal for his senior season.
bq. “It’d probably be in the early to late 20s, in that range,” the 6-foot-11 junior said of his projected 2007 draft status. “The kind of thing I was hearing was that I was in the mix with a couple guys. That means there’s no gaurantees. I feel like I can make that even better if I go back to school.”
Now his dad, Michael, thinks he can be a lottery pick in next year’s draft.
But let’s just forget about the draft now and talk about what this means for Ben Braun’s Bears.
Now Ryan Anderson won’t have to worry about guarding an opposing team’s best low-post threat. And with Hardin back, Cal gets one of the Pac-10’s best low-post defenders. No scrawny guard will want to venture into the paint if Hardin’s down there guarding the basket.
With Hardin back, we’re going to suggest that the Bears won’t be cellar-dwellers. But how will they fare? If Hardin can actually improve his offensive game, then Cal will be in the top half of the conference. If not? Then … the Ben Braun’s Bears won’t be cellar-dwellers.
Image Source: Julie Himes, Daily Cal
Earlier: Breaking: Hardin Will Sign With Agent, Remain in Draft
Hardin chooses to stay at Cal [Mercury-News]
Sources tell the Chron that center DeVon Hardin will make like Leon Powe, go pro and sign with an agent, forgoing his senior season with Cal.
Hardin, who has been traveling the country doing independent workouts for NBA teams, has until tomorrow to take his name out of the draft.
According to Hardin’s father, Michael, these workouts have gone well.
bq. “This whole situation is kind of fluid, so it’s too soon to say,” he said. “We’re hearing good news, and we’re getting some feedback that will be useful in making the decision, but there’s no decision yet.”
While there’s no question that Hardin is athletically gifted, it’s a little surprising to hear that he’s going to keep his name in the draft, given the fact that he broke his foot in December and missed most of the season.
But scouts have been ogling the Fremont, Calif., native’s physique and defensive abilities even before the season started. Even the so-called pundits took notice, with ESPN’s Chris Ford thinking Hardin could go as early as No. 27 to the Detroit Pistons.
Sportsline.com also has a couple of writers who think Hardin will be a late first-rounder, while draftexpress.com has Hardin as a high second-round draft pick.
This of course is contrary to what Hardin told Inside Bay Area News a couple of weeks ago, sort of, when he said that he would probably come back to the Ben Braun’s Bears for his senior season.
We guess that two weeks, especially two weeks of workouts, can change a lot of things.
Image Source: Julie Himes, Daily Cal
Earlier: Hardin Thinking About Coming Back to Cal
Hardin expected to announce NBA plans [SF Gate]
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