Tuesday, April 09, 2002
Jeffries leaving Indiana for NBA
The Associated Press
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Jared Jeffries hoped he would get an opportunity to one day play in the NBA. On Monday, he made certain he'd get that chance.
Jeffries, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward who helped lead Indiana to the NCAA championship game, added his name to the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.
“All my life, I've had two dreams. My first dream was to hear my name called on graduation day, the second was to hear my name called for the NBA draft,” Jeffries said. “I never could have imagined that I would get a chance to play NBA basketball so early.”
Jeffries was the Big Ten's player of the year and a second-team All-American. He led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.0 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Jeffries dismissed any possibility of pulling his name out of the draft. Players can withdraw until June 19 if they do not sign with an agent. Jeffries said his decision was final — and that he would likely choose an agent in the next few days.
Jeffries has been projected as a top-15 pick in the June draft. He consulted with NBA team officials in the past week, but declined to say how high he expected to be drafted.
Jeffries, 20, demonstrated his ability to play both inside and outside during the Hoosiers' improbable tournament run, which ended with a loss to Maryland in the national championship game.
Jeffries, working down low, had 24 points and 15 rebounds in the Hoosiers upset of top-ranked Duke. Two games later, with Tom Coverdale slowed by a sprained left ankle, Jeffries showed the ability of a point guard, occasionally running the fast break.
Questions remain whether Jeffries is strong enough at 215 pounds to play in the NBA.
Indiana coach Mike Davis was ill and did not attend Jeffries' announcement.
In a statement released by Indiana, Davis said he supported Jeffries' decision.
“This a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I know that Jared will make the best of it,” Davis said. “I plan to keep in touch with him throughout his career and he knows that I am always here if he ever needs me. It was a pleasure to have coached him for two seasons.”
ast year after his junior season.
Jeffries said he promised his mother he would earn his college degree, as an example for his younger brother, and “looked forward” to the day he greeted his mother — degree in hand.
“I'd love to see him in stay in school, but that is for selfish reasons,” Cecelia Jeffries said.
Indiana's high school Mr. Basketball in 2000 finishes his college career with 999 points, falling one point short of becoming the fifth player in Indiana history to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons. He averaged 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in two years.
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