Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Woods to announce intentions tomorrow

UA associate head coach Jim Rosborough said junior center Loren Woods - who announced that he will make his decision tomorrow at 2 p.m. on whether he is going to enter the NBA Draft - has been advised by NBA general managers to stay for one more year.

"I talked to six general managers last week and he talked to three himself to ask questions. No one was listening when he was talking, but they all said it would be wise for him to stay," Rosborough said. "We could help him here and he would have the opportunity to get stronger. They are all concerned with his strength."

Woods missed the final six regular season games and two NCAA tournament games due to a compressed disc in his back.

Before going down with the injury, Woods averaged 15.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, while blocking 102 shots in 26 games.

Woods said he won't finalize his decision until the last minute.

"I'll wake up in the morning and if I decide that I want to come back to school, then I'll be back," he said. "But if I wake up and decide that I want to go to the NBA, then I am leaving and it is as simple as that."

Rosborough said he had talked to the general managers of the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns. He did not disclose the general managers that Woods spoke with.

"As it was explained to me, you're going to make money, but you are really shooting for that second contract," Rosborough said. "The feeling was that Loren physically would not be ready. He would have to spend time building himself up with a crummy team. Everybody advised it would be wise for him to stay."

Rosborough also said all the general managers said that despite the question marks surrounding his strength, Woods would still be a "reasonably high draft pick because of his size."

With sophomore swing forward Richard Jefferson announcing last week that he is going to return for his junior season, Rosborough said he is excited about next year's team and hopes everything falls into place.

"If Loren is healthy and playing like he played this year, I mean good heaven's. He has loads of talent, he is a bright kid and a hard-worker, but the killer instinct comes through maturity," he said. "I sit here today thinking that we could be absolutely dynamite next year if everything goes the way it could."