Diogu's Father Says Son Going To NBA For Sure

[WizardOfAz]

Bad news for Sun Devil basketball fans: It appears the Ike Diogu era has ended at Arizona State. Diogu’s father, Edward Diogu, told the Tribune Monday his son has made the decision to forego his senior season at ASU and begin his professional career.

The NBA draft is three weeks from today in New York.

"Yes, he’s going to the NBA. He’s going to be in the draft,’’ Edward Diogu said. "He’s not going back to school. His next game will be in the NBA.’’

Diogu, who declined comment through an ASU spokesman, is expected to address the media today in Tempe before heading to Chicago for one of the final NBA draft camps. He will not participate in the workouts, but he has had individual workouts with Denver, Memphis, Golden State, Houston and Seattle and is scheduled to work out with the Suns.

Diogu has been projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick — by some as high as a lottery pick — meaning his contract would be guaranteed over three years under terms of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. A series of impressive private workouts for NBA teams has elevated his stock and apparently led to the final decision to turn pro.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=42604

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Good choice, Ike. There's no point in going back to ASU and giving that incompetent assclown Rob Evans another opportunity to ruin your career.

 

[scotsman13]

http://draftcity.com/viewarticle.php?a=197

Regarding Ike Diogu rumors

Late last week rumors surfaced that Ike Diogu had received a promise from the Phoenix Suns at #21. When we mentioned to his father, he responded with a hearty chuckle, “the only problem is that he hasn’t even worked out for the Suns yet.” These types of rumors are beneficial to Diogu’s stock, but it looks like there is absolutely no truth to them in this case. While NBA teams claim that he is just 6’8 in shoes (as opposed to the 6’9 that has been mentioned), his 7’4 wingspan makes him a unique commodity in this draft, with physical attributes very similar to that of Elton Brand. Diogu will be conducting private workouts in Chicago this week, and afterwards will workout for Indiana on the 16th, Phoenix on the 17th, Minnesota on the 20th, Toronto on the 21st, and Charlotte on the 22nd. The fact that Ike Diogu has a workout scheduled the day after the pull out deadline tells us all we need to know about his intentions regarding whether or not to keep his name in this year’s draft.

 

[WizardOfAz]

incompetent assclown Rob Evans

Wow....

 

[JPlay]

Good choice, Ike. There's no point in going back to ASU and giving that incompetent assclown Rob Evans another opportunity to ruin your career.

Imagine what how good he would have been with a real college coach. And when are the SunDevils going to get a big name or up and coming coach to turn the program around and get some respectability.

 

[HooverDam]

I think Evans has improved ASUs program. Under Frieder we were usually a 500 team it seems, under Evans the team at least plays hard, tries on defense and usually ends up w/ a winning record.

As an ASU fan, I was hoping Ike would go back and maybe ASU could make the dance. With out him, they have nothing really. Evans has done a poor job of using Ike to snowball and get other top notch players to join him.

 

[devilalum]

I think Evans has improved ASUs program. Under Frieder we were usually a 500 team it seems, under Evans the team at least plays hard, tries on defense and usually ends up w/ a winning record.

As an ASU fan, I was hoping Ike would go back and maybe ASU could make the dance. With out him, they have nothing really. Evans has done a poor job of using Ike to snowball and get other top notch players to join him.

It's hard to evaluate the job Evans has done. The whole point shaving incident set an average at best program back a decade. Even a top 10 talent like Ike wasn't able to lift the Devils back to respectability. They may not be winning but at least under Evans there hasn't been any big off court problems. That may pay off in the future.

 

[Devision]

Rob Evans (assclown) is done. If not for the Wade situation he would be gone. No player including Ike has improved as a player under his coaching. Ike is the same player now as he was when he was a freshman. I thought Braxton was going to be a stud after his fresman year, he has since regressed to nothing.

 

[George O'Brien]

It's funny how Evens went from being a genius back in the SEC to an idiot at ASU, simply because we tend to overrate certain freshman prospects. Evens real problem is that the state of Arizona does not produce that many divison one caliber players and those that are produced end up in Tucson. The result is that ASU is a very hard place to recruit for and Evens is just not that good a recruiter.

In any case, Ike has little reason to stay in school once it became clear he can play. I'm still hoping that the general bias against undersized power forwards will mean he will drop to the Suns, but I fear he is demonstrating how underrated he has been hidden in Tempe.

 

[scotsman13]

one of the rarest things in the nba today is true post play. can you name 5 true post player? shaq, zack randoph, and then ................... well there is ................., heck if you can find a good post player who is good to what it is said ike is and comes looks to be able to score even against bigger player and double team then they maybe gold in the lottery.

 

[HooverDam]

So who does everyone think would be a better coach at ASU? I hope this wont derail things too much. Maybe the guy who used to Coach at Cal (I cant remember his damned name right now). He was a really good recruiter but was involved in a scandal and has been black listed since. Anyway, ASU needs someone who can recruit, I give Evans this year to make a big splash, after that, who knows.

 

[Devision]

So who does everyone think would be a better coach at ASU? .

Anyone who does not sit stupefied on the bench while his team is getting railroaded again and again. In 3 years he could not come up with a scheme to get Ike the ball other than pass it around the perimeter and try to dump it into him. Even worse they could not get Ike the ball at the end of games, instead he would let Braxton handle it in which the other team would back off and pack it in the lane and watch him dribble around the 3pt line lost and clueless until launching a brick with no chance of going in. The next time I see a screen set by ASU will be the 1st time in about 6 years.

 

[Lefty]

Diogu says he has not made up his mind yet.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Torn between education and the big money of the NBA, Ike Diogu plans to use every possible minute before choosing.


The Arizona State star, last season's Pac-10 player of the year, said Tuesday he wouldn't announce his decision until June 21. That is the deadline for college players who have declared for the June 28 draft to withdraw if they haven't hired an agent.


"I'm just gathering up all the information that I can," Diogu said at a news conference. "Coach [Rob] Evans is doing his part, and he tells me what he hears, and we'll just go from there."


Evans said Diogu, a heavily recruited prep player in his native Texas, was following the same thoughtful process that he used in selecting the Sun Devils.


"I'm going to give him information," Evans said. "He'll decipher the information, and he'll tell me and you guys what he's going to do at the proper time. I think the big thing is he's got a process -- as he's always had -- of making decisions, and he'll follow through on that process.


"He doesn't make snap decisions. Never has."


Diogu said his feelings are split evenly between beginning his professional career and staying for his senior year at a school, and with teammates, he likes.


The deciding factor could be knowing for sure that he'd go high in the first round. But Diogu said he has heard his name is all over various draft boards.


A 6-foot-8 forward with an 88-inch arm spread, Diogu has worked out for Denver, Houston, Seattle and Golden State. He will attend one of the last NBA draft camps starting Friday in Chicago and interview with teams, but not work out. After that, he plans separate auditions with New Jersey, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Toronto.


"I'm not really concerned with the team. I guess it would have to be [draft] placement," he said.


Edward Diogu, the athlete's father, told a Phoenix-area newspaper on Monday that his son had made up his mind to play in the NBA this year.


Diogu said he spoke with his father later Monday night and cleared up the misunderstanding.


"We got everything out in the open, and we're on the same page," he said.


Diogu's parents are educators, and throughout the news conference he showed signs of his reluctance to leave college without a degree. He also said he would like to help improve the Sun Devils, whose 18-13 record only got them an NIT bid.


"I definitely feel that we're going to be a tournament team next year," he said.


Diogu, who announced on March 28 that he was making himself available to the draft, led the Pac-10 in scoring (22.6) and rebounding (9.8) last season, earning second-team All-America honors.


He had 15 double-doubles and six 30-point games last season and has scored in double figures in all 91 of his college games. He set the Pac-10 record for free throws made in 2003-04 with 243 and then elevated the record with 248 last season.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

So who does everyone think would be a better coach at ASU? I hope this wont derail things too much. Maybe the guy who used to Coach at Cal (I cant remember his damned name right now). He was a really good recruiter but was involved in a scandal and has been black listed since. Anyway, ASU needs someone who can recruit, I give Evans this year to make a big splash, after that, who knows.

The school paper was pushing for Scott. I thought it was a funny, but possible idea if enough money was thrown around.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I don't know what's funnier, Ike suggesting ASU is going to the Tournamnt next year or saying choosing ASU over Illinois and UCONN was a "thoughtful process."

 

[HooverDam]

I don't know what's funnier, Ike suggesting ASU is going to the Tournamnt next year or saying choosing ASU over Illinois and UCONN was a "thoughtful process."

Well I think to some players the idea of being the guy who turns around a program is very appealing. Instead of just being another guy in a long list of great players at a school.