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Harrison is expected to jump to NBA
CU center believed to be giving up final year of eligibility
By B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News
April 8, 2004
BOULDER - David Harrison told University of Colorado men's basketball coach Ricardo Patton on Tuesday that he will skip his final season of eligibility and enter the NBA draft, two university sources said Wednesday.
CU tentatively has scheduled a Friday morning news conference for Harrison, a 7-foot center who just completed his junior season, to make a formal announcement about his future.
After spending spring break with his parents in Nashville, Tenn., discussing his options, Harrison returned to Boulder last week, three days after classes resumed.
He met with Patton, who began conducting academic meetings Tuesday with underclassmen, after the coach returned from the Final Four in San Antonio.
Neither Harrison nor Patton returned telephone calls Wednesday.
Patton said during the season his "gut feeling" was Harrison would remain at CU. But as the 2003-04 season wound down, Harrison was ambivalent about his plans - one week saying he would "do whatever coach P wants," the next week indicating he needed to consider the bigger picture.
Harrison, who ranks with Chauncey Billups as CU's most high-profile basketball recruits, still could change his mind.
And even if he declares himself eligible for the draft, he also could rethink his decision and re-enter school (as long as he doesn't retain an agent) after participating in a pre-draft camp in June and counseling with NBA front-office types to get a better idea of his draft status.
But Harrison recently indicated he would not take that approach, saying once he made his decision to leave, it would be final.
If he changed his mind, he would have until June 17 to scratch himself from the draft and return to CU. The deadline for early draft declaration is May 10.
Draft analysts have projected Harrison being selected anywhere from the middle of the first round to the middle of the second.
Harrison would leave as the school's career leader in blocked shots and field-goal percentage. He averaged 17.1 points and 8.8 rebounds a game this season, and his 12 double-doubles topped the Buffaloes and the Big 12 Conference.
In CU's 77-72 loss at Oregon in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, Harrison scored 26 points and collected 12 rebounds. But the Buffs squandered an 18-point second-half lead and finished the season 18-11.
Patton believed CU's 10-6 conference finish (fourth place) would earn an at-large NCAA Tournament berth, but the Buffs were passed over. Like Billups, who turned pro after his sophomore season, Harrison would depart with one NCAA Tournament appearance.
Speculating on the 2004-05 season without Harrison, Patton has said 6-8 junior Chris Copeland likely would be called on to play the post.
CU's team banquet is tonight at the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield.
