The thoughts of many surrounding the MSU basketball program at the moment have to do with the status of junior center Adreian Payneand freshman guard Gary Harris.
With the NBA Draft early entry eligibility deadline approaching on April 28, underclassmen from across the country are gauging whether joining the professional ranks is a worthwhile venture. Even with more than a week before the deadline, players such as Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, along with Syracuse’s Michael Carter-Williams and Missouri’s Phil Pressey, already have declared for the NBA Draft, with potentially more to follow.
So, the question remains clear for Payne and Harris, as well as junior guard Keith Appling.
Will they, or won’t they?
As a decision seems imminent in the coming days, MSU head coach Tom Izzo said he will continue meeting with the players and their respective families to make the decision that’s best for all involved.
“I’m doing what I said at the end of the season, which is trying to find out the status of draft prospects and then relay that information to them and their families,” Izzo said in a statement released by the MSU athletic department Thursday. “It’s an imperfect process with a lot of vague answers, but I want them to have as much information as possible before they make their decisions, and that’s what we are working feverishly to provide.
“I’ve spent virtually all of my time since returning from the Final Four on the phone with different general managers and NBA personnel, trying to gather the most accurate information available. I owe that to my players as they make perhaps the most important decision of their lives.
“We are aware of the upcoming deadlines and will inform everyone as decisions are made.”
Wednesday was the deadline to apply for feedback from the NBA Advisory Board, which requires players to enter their name in the draft in order to find out where they likely would be selected.
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