With family and friends gathered to hear the news they had been waiting for since the end of the Badgers' season, Wisconsin junior guard Devin Harris announced his eligibility for the NBA draft Wednesday morning but chose not to sign an agent, allowing him to return to the Badgers if he is dissatisfied with his draft status. In the end, Harris' decision was more of an indecision.
\It's [a] very difficult position I'm put in,"" Harris said. ""I had to sit down and think what I want, and I'm still not sure about it, but I'm leaving the option open to go both ways and give me a little more time to think about it.""
Harris must make his official decision no later than June 17, one week before the June 24 draft.
With five weeks to make his ultimate decision, the choice Harris faces is a difficult one. If he returns to the Badgers, the Big Ten Player of the Year could not only lead UW to a third Big Ten title in four years, but a shot at returning Wisconsin to the Final Four for the first time since 2000. With redshirt freshman center Brian Butch likely ready to play and sophomore forward Alando Tucker back from a foot injury, not to mention the return of the majority of the Badgers' weapons, Wisconsin would be a fully loaded team heading into the 2004-'05 season.
""It's definitely a big hook and one of the reasons I have not signed with an agent is to give me the option to come back, because I know we can do some great things back here,"" Harris said. ""But then again, I have to be selfish and look at what my situation is and see if this opportunity I have is worth taking.""
Head Coach Bo Ryan said despite Harris' comment about the decision being selfish, Wisconsin's all-time single-season scoring leader is anything but that, and the decision to see what happens in the NBA lottery is his and his alone. Ryan added the team supports Harris with whatever decision he makes.
""He is not selfish,"" Ryan said. ""That's a feeling he has maybe about what other people might perceive his inquiring to be ... He's still a student athlete and he's handled this all with class.""
But the allure of the NBA is difficult to ignore and one that several elite underclass college players, such as Connecticut junior guard Ben Gordon and Duke freshman guard Luol Deng, have answered this year. Draft experts have Harris being chosen as high as No. 5 and as low as No. 15, with teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns on the top of prospective teams.
""I think I'm a competitive enough person to get the time right away depending on the program and what kind of people they have,"" Harris said.
Harris said he plans on talking to some NBA general managers to get a better feel of the lottery, but added he has no set number that would make him stay or go. For now,
""We've learned so many times from coach to look at what's next,"" Harris said, ""and what's next is that I've got a paper due tomorrow at 11:00.\
