All-Encompassing Update

During the summer, there's not a lot of (ACC) football or basketball news to write about, so rather than driving myself insane trying to find topics, I will just occasionally (or more often, depending on what sparks my interest) weigh in on a few random topics.

JJ Hickson is probably staying in the draft. I don't think he should, but he didn't ask me. He chose not to play at the Orlando pre-draft camp, and wasn't invited for interviews and measurements only. Evidently, he's content with his current draft position...or he thinks he's going to blow the scouts away at his private workout that he will have soon. I believe his best chance of improving his draft stock would have been to go to Orlando and shine against other "wanna be" draftees. However, Sidney Lowe has been around the NBA quite a bit, and if JJ is following his advice, I will easily concede that he's doing the best thing for his particular situation.

The Danny Green saga is very interesting. Apparently, as long as the NBA doesn't specifically tell Mr. Green to pull out of the draft, he is going to stay in it. Tar Heel Fan has all of the UNC/NBA draft news anyone could need, including a couple of articles about Danny Green. It seems that being in prison made Danny Sr. an expert on the intricacies of the NBA draft process.

Football is only a few months away!!!

The United States Open is basically two weeks away. My early prediction: Tiger Woods wins! How's that for going out on a limb? I'll step out a little farther...Tiger will finish at -2, and will be the only golfer in red figures. Plenty of people will be predicting that someone other than Tiger will win, citing his long layoff for knee surgery. I say he will win, because he always wins at Torrey Pines. Also, in 2002, he missed quite a bit of time because of a similar knee surgery, and he won his first tournament back that year, as well. Where was that tournament played?? Yep..Torrey Pines.

Well, that's it for now. Check back soon for another all-encompassing update!

Hickson To NBA? Possibly.

North Carolina State C/F JJ Hickson has decided to enter his name into the NBA Draft, head coach Sidney Lowe said on his final radio show of the season. Hickson will not hire an agent, but will show his wares at pre-draft camps and workouts. After determining where he is likely to be drafted, Hickson would then determine whether he stays in the draft or returns to NC State for another season.

Hickson's current draft status is unclear. Collegehoopsnet.com does not have him listed in their two round mock draft at all, but lists him as a potential first round pick. Draftexpress.com has Hickson projected to go 26th overall. Insidehoops.com projects JJ at 27th overall.

The assessment of Hickson's draft potential will be up in the air until the April 27th early entry deadline has passed. Up until that point, there are several players whose decisions about leaving college early for the NBA will affect where Hickson ends up in the draft.

Ultimately, the decision will most likely come down to Hickson's willingness to risk his future.

At the current projected draft positions, he would be going to playoff teams. Those teams are usually not as "needy" when it comes to rookies, so JJ could end up in the NBA Development League for long stretches. Also, rookie contracts are guaranteed for two year, with two more years as team options. If JJ is unable to crack the roster of the team that drafts him in two years, he may not get an immediate chance anywhere else. He'd then be faced with going overseas to try to work his way back to the NBA. Foreign basketball leagues are littered with U.S. players who thought they were more prepared for the NBA than they actually proved to be.

The only real risk in returning to NC State is injury. The work ethic that Hickson displayed as a freshman makes it likely that he would further develop his skills if he spent another year at NCSU. If he could improve his defense, and become better at recognizing double teams in the post on offense, Hickson would stand a good chance of improving his draft position considerably.

There really is no clear-cut right or wrong answer. It is entirely up to JJ. As a State fan, I'd like to see him spend another year in college, but I can't blame him for chasing his dreams, if that's what he ultimately decides to do. I wish him the best of luck, no matter what he decides.