Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Stuckey wait is almost over
Well, at least for those waiting to find out what star basketball player Rodney Stuckey has mind, the wait is over. Ever since the final buzzer sounded to the Big Sky hoop season, there has been wild speculation as to what the Sophomore will do - stay at Eastern one more year or go pro.
The deadline for him to declare for the June NBA draft is Sunday, and a decision could come any day.
As you might imagine, having a possible first-round draft pick play at EWU is a big deal, so a lot of people want just one more year of Stuckey here on campus. But, he's got a future to think about, and a nice NBA contract is hard for any young man to pass up..so we will see.
Dave Trimmer, who does a fine job covering Eastern sports, has this take from this mornings paper:
Eagles await decision
Stuckey's draft plans expected today
Dave Trimmer Staff writerApril 25, 2007
Eastern Washington University basketball star Rodney Stuckey is expected to announce today whether he will declare for the NBA draft or return for his junior season.
Although he repeatedly said he would return to EWU, he seemed to waver by the end of a disappointing season that saw the Eagles miss the Big Sky Conference playoffs for the first time in a decade.
"I'm going to sit down with my family and see the situation," he said at the conclusion of the 15-14 season.
Stuckey denied an on-line report in late February that said he would declare for the draft but not hire an agent.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare is Sunday night. If Stuckey did not hire an agent, he could withdraw his name through June 18 and be eligible for next season. The draft is June 28.
Despite the presence of the best player in school history the Eagles are 30-29 in Stuckey's two seasons.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Kent, Wash., has set numerous EWU records and is a two-time unanimous All-Big Sky Conference player, including MVP as a freshman.
He scored 45 points in one game and 726 in 30 games for a 24.2 average as a freshman, all school records. He bumped his average to 24.6 as a sophomore. Both seasons he was in the top 10 nationally and earned honorable mention All-American honors.
He is fourth on the school career scoring list with 1,438 points and set a record with 15 games of scoring 30 or more points. He scored in double figures in every game but one, when he played just four minutes because of back spasms.
Stuckey owns the school record for free throws made (386) and is second in attempts (479). He is also fourth in steals (137) and fourth in average assists (4.8).
Various Internet sites have listed Stuckey as a late first-round pick, although some have not included him among their first-round projections. Only first-round selections receive guaranteed contracts.
In a February article in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, an NBA scout gave Stuckey a good review.
"He is one of the best combo guards in the country, great size, strong, excellent feel, feel for finding people and making plays," the scout told Gary Washburn. "He's definitely a scorer who can score out to the NBA 3-point line. His weakness is he doesn't take enough shots."
There is also concern about the level of play in the Big Sky.
"There are going to be some people not convinced of his talent based on his level of competition," the scout said. "That could work against him."
An academic non-qualifier coming out of high school, Stuckey has earned academic all-conference and all-district honors twice and was a third-team Academic All-American this past season.
The deadline for him to declare for the June NBA draft is Sunday, and a decision could come any day.
As you might imagine, having a possible first-round draft pick play at EWU is a big deal, so a lot of people want just one more year of Stuckey here on campus. But, he's got a future to think about, and a nice NBA contract is hard for any young man to pass up..so we will see.
Dave Trimmer, who does a fine job covering Eastern sports, has this take from this mornings paper:
Eagles await decision
Stuckey's draft plans expected today
Dave Trimmer Staff writerApril 25, 2007
Eastern Washington University basketball star Rodney Stuckey is expected to announce today whether he will declare for the NBA draft or return for his junior season.
Although he repeatedly said he would return to EWU, he seemed to waver by the end of a disappointing season that saw the Eagles miss the Big Sky Conference playoffs for the first time in a decade.
"I'm going to sit down with my family and see the situation," he said at the conclusion of the 15-14 season.
Stuckey denied an on-line report in late February that said he would declare for the draft but not hire an agent.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare is Sunday night. If Stuckey did not hire an agent, he could withdraw his name through June 18 and be eligible for next season. The draft is June 28.
Despite the presence of the best player in school history the Eagles are 30-29 in Stuckey's two seasons.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Kent, Wash., has set numerous EWU records and is a two-time unanimous All-Big Sky Conference player, including MVP as a freshman.
He scored 45 points in one game and 726 in 30 games for a 24.2 average as a freshman, all school records. He bumped his average to 24.6 as a sophomore. Both seasons he was in the top 10 nationally and earned honorable mention All-American honors.
He is fourth on the school career scoring list with 1,438 points and set a record with 15 games of scoring 30 or more points. He scored in double figures in every game but one, when he played just four minutes because of back spasms.
Stuckey owns the school record for free throws made (386) and is second in attempts (479). He is also fourth in steals (137) and fourth in average assists (4.8).
Various Internet sites have listed Stuckey as a late first-round pick, although some have not included him among their first-round projections. Only first-round selections receive guaranteed contracts.
In a February article in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, an NBA scout gave Stuckey a good review.
"He is one of the best combo guards in the country, great size, strong, excellent feel, feel for finding people and making plays," the scout told Gary Washburn. "He's definitely a scorer who can score out to the NBA 3-point line. His weakness is he doesn't take enough shots."
There is also concern about the level of play in the Big Sky.
"There are going to be some people not convinced of his talent based on his level of competition," the scout said. "That could work against him."
An academic non-qualifier coming out of high school, Stuckey has earned academic all-conference and all-district honors twice and was a third-team Academic All-American this past season.
