Will Alex Tyus keep his name in 2010 NBA Draft?

By Adam Silverstein
April 28, 2010

Florida Gators junior forward Alex Tyus submitted his name into the 2010 NBA Draft without hiring an agent earlier this month. As his final decision date [May 8] nears, Tyus will pick up next week and head over to IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, in order to physically prepare for NBA workouts given before the draft, according to The Gainesville Sun.

Tyus, who almost transferred after the 2009 season but was convinced to stay by head coach Billy Donovan, can return for his senior season should he remove his name from the draft pool prior to May 8. He has previously said that he will not leave Gainesville, FL, unless he is projected to be a first-round pick.

“Mainly, I just want to see where I stand [with the NBA Draft Advisory Committee],” Tyus previously told the Sun. “I want to go through the process, getting a chance to meet with some teams, working out against other players, trying to get better.”

ESPN college basketball analysts Chad Ford and Andy Katz have both been critical about Tyus in recent days, each saying the only decision he should make should be to come back to Florida. While evaluating those who should stay in the draft or return to school, Ford had Tyus listed in a group of players who should run back to school and did not even have him ranked in his top 100 available players (No. 116). Needless to say, Ford’s projection is that he would be picked in the second round or go undrafted.

“Tyus is an athletic, but undersized big man who will likely struggle to make the transition to the small forward position in the pros,” he wrote earlier this month. “He’s best around the basket in a blue-collar type of role, but won’t be able to do the same amount of damage in the pros. I expect him to go undrafted if he stays in the draft.”

Katz questioned if his mind was even in the right place.

“Alex Tyus can’t seriously be thinking of staying in the draft, can he?” Katz pondered. “If he returns, the Gators will have a quality team that can compete for the SEC title with guards Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton and forwards Chandler Parsons and Vernon Macklin returning to go along with recruits Patric Young and Casey Prather. The Gators would have a solid team with Tyus back. If he stays in the draft, it’s just one less experienced player.”

With just over a week to make his final decision, Tyus has some serious thinking to do.

5 Comments

  1. Bob says:

    While I agree that Tyus should go back to UF for a year of seasoning, Katz’s reasoning is completely fallacious in my opinion. Katz may be right that Tyus may not get drafted, but it’s because of Tyus’s ability and not because UF will be a stronger team if stays in school (which is true).

    OF COURSE Florida’s going to be better with Tyus, a 3-year starter, in its lineup. But to say, “If he stays in the draft, it’s just one less experienced player,” is just asinine and has absolutely NOTHING TO DO with Tyus’s draft status.

    I want Tyus back next year but don’t begrudge him at all taking a look at the opportunities his skills present.

  2. Bob- I see what you are saying…but I don’t think Katz was using that as his reasoning why Tyus should stay in school. The way it read to me, Katz was giving his opinion of him going into the draft: “Alex Tyus can’t seriously be thinking of staying in the draft, can he?” and THEN, separately, saying why it would be beneficial for the Gators if he returned. I don’t believe he was qualifying is first sentence with the remainder of his comments…

  3. npgator says:

    He should return for his final year. Remember Matt Walsh? He and his family had a draft party set up and he ended up not even getting drafted.

  4. Basshole says:

    I would be pretty surprised if he left early. Going through the process of seeing where he stands, working out with scouts and seeing what he needs to work on are things that will help him around this time next year.

  5. El Meester says:

    If Tyus really means what he says about only staying in the draft if he gets a 1st round projection, then he will undoubtedly be back. The question is if he really meant what he said…

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