This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 2:35 PM- LOGAN - Utah State's Jaycee Carroll has decided to test his status with the NBA by declaring his eligibility for the 2007 draft, which is June 28.
"It has always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA and I owe it to myself and my family to do whatever I can to make that dream come true," Carroll said. "I think it is important for the development of my game to see how I compare against the best collegiate basketball players in the country."
Carroll will keep his eligibility as a college player as long as he does not hire an agent and as long as he withdraws from the draft by the June 18 deadline. The 6-foot-2 junior guard from Evanston, Wyo., was the leading scorer in the Western Athletic Conference - and 10th nationally - with a 21.3-points per game average.
An Honorable Mention All-America and first-team all-WAC, Carroll led the conference in three-point shooting (.432) and was 12th in rebounding (6.3) as Utah State went 23-12. The Aggies lost to Michigan in the first round of the NIT.
"Our coaching staff understands and supports Jaycee on his decision to explore the NBA," Utah State head coach Stew Morrill said. "It has become fairly common for underclassmen who have had great seasons to test the waters and find out information regarding their status with the NBA. Jaycee understands unless he is guaranteed to be a first-round pick that the wise decision would be to come back to school."
The first time underclassmen can have contact with NBA teams is at the Pre-Draft Camp, May 29-June 4, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. After that date, underclassmen can work out for teams at their own expense, in order to maintain their collegiate eligibility.
martyr@sltrib.com" Target="_BLANK">martyr@sltrib.com