Jun 18, 2007, 20:55 GMT
Seattle, WA - University of Washington center Spencer Hawes has decided to remain in the NBA Draft and forgo his remaining three years of collegiate eligibility.
Hawes announced his decision to test the NBA waters on April 5 and went through the process of meeting with officials and going through workouts to determine his status. He could be a top-10 pick in the June 28 draft.
'After meeting with everyone, getting all the appropriate feedback and going through the entire evaluative process, I made a decision I believe is the best for my future and that is to remain eligible for the NBA Draft,' said Hawes on Monday. 'The decision to further my career in the NBA at this point in time was difficult. Every day I had different feelings about it. But, at the end of the day, I have to be realistic and trust my instincts.'
'The fact that our team struggled a bit last season made the decision not to return to Washington very difficult, Hawes added. 'Certainly, there are some things I would have liked to accomplish in college. But, I feel I made the best decision to my family and my future.'
The Huskies were 19-13 last season and Hawes led the team with an average of 14.9 points per game. He shot 53.2 percent from the field and was second on the team with 6.4 rebounds per game.
'Spencer is obviously very talented. We think so and the NBA thinks so,' said Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar. 'Spencer has a great opportunity in front of him and we wish him the best. One of the important character traits that really describes Spencer is the fact that during the spring quarter he completed every one of his classes and remained an outstanding student at the University of Washington.'
Hawes was a first-team All-Pac-10 Freshman Team selection and an honorable mention all-conference pick. He established two new school freshman records with 461 points and 54 blocked shots.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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