The morning headline in Wednesday’s Tucson Citizen read, “Arenas poised to turn pro; Gardner testing the waters.”
The headline in today’s edition could read something like this: “Gardner becomes third Wildcat to turn pro; Arenas still waiting.”
Yes, for the third time in a week, an underclassmen for the Arizona men’s basketball team has declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft, and it wasn’t sophomore guard Gilbert Arenas as expected.
This time, it was sophomore point guard Jason Gardner, who followed the lead of fellow starters Richard Jefferson and Michael Wright and followed his “dream.”
“After talking with my family and coaches, I have decided to enter my name in the 2001 NBA Draft and chase my dream of playing professional basketball,” Gardner said.
The 5-foot-10, 181-pound guard was a key member of the Wildcats’ Final Four team that lost to Duke in the championship game on April 2. Since that game, the entire make-up of the Arizona team has been dramatically altered with the departure of the underclassmen who have jumped ship and seniors such as Loren Woods, Eugene Edgerson and Justin Wessel.
Gardner, who averaged 10.9 points and a team-leading 4.1 assists per game, still might return to the Wildcats because he is not planning on hiring an agent. Under league rules, underclassmen who do not hire an agent have until June 20 to take their names out of the June 27 draft if they are not pleased with their likely draft placements.
“I have done a lot of research and talked to many people involved in the NBA, and I feel that this is the best time to enter the draft,” Gardner said. “The University of Arizona has been wonderful to my family and me, and that is why I will not close the door on my eligibility [by hiring an agent].”
Of the Arizona starters last season, Woods was the only senior. Now, three of the non-seniors in that unit have declared themselves eligible for the draft, with Arenas still making people wait for his announcement.
Before last week, only two Wildcats had ever left school early in head coach Lute Olson’s 18-year tenure. Now there are five, and possibly six.