[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

http://blog.seattlepi.com/huskies/archives/236607.asp

Isaiah Thomas said during an appearance on ESPN 710 AM with Jim Moore and Chris Egan (filling in for Kevin Calabro) on Friday afternoon that he’s not thinking about whether he’ll leave school a year early to enter the NBA Draft.

Thomas, a junior, is turning heads with his scoring and passing, raising the question of whether he may leave for the NBA following his junior season. He leads the Pac-10 in assists and is third in scoring.

Moore asked Thomas if he was thinking about whether he might enter the Draft at season’s end.

"Not really," the 5-foot-9 guard said. "I’m not reallyworried about that right now. I’m worried about winning as many games as possible and going as far as we can this season. I’ll think about that once the season’s over. Like I said before, I love the University of Washington. I would love to stay."

But if he’s projected as a first-rounder, he’d have to at least consider it, right?

"Definitely," Thomas said. "Lottery pick, first round, guaranteed 2-3 years and some money. You’ve got to look at your options. You’ve got to always have your options open to things like that, and you’ve got to outweigh the good and the bad of any type of situation. I’m definitely thinking about it. It’s in the back of my head, but as of right now, I’m worried about this team."

Nate Robinson (left after junior year) and Spencer Hawes (left after freshman year) are the only two players to leave school early to enter the NBA Draft during Lorenzo Romar’s 9-year tenure as UW’s head coach (unless you want to count Doug Wrenn, who put his name into the Draft after being more or less told that there was no longer a place for him at Washington).

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All about the Pac-10: Catch him while you can

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-pac10012211

http://blog.seattlepi.com/huskies/archives/236607.asp

Washington State coach Ken Bone has a message to the fans that have yet to attend a Cougars game this season: Buy a ticket. Heck, get six of them – one for each remaining home contest.

Klay Thompson, the coach pointed out, is only a junior. But time may be running out to see the All-American candidate play – at least in a college uniform.

“We’d love to have him, obviously, for another year,” Bone told reporters this week. “But if he gets the opportunity to go to the NBA, he’s like anybody else, he’ll do it. So there’s a chance that he [only] has six games left here on the Palouse.”
More From Jason King

Thompson has yet to decide whether he’ll enter the NBA draft at the conclusion of the season, but one would think his play over the past few months has greatly enhanced his stock.

A 6-foot-6 wing, Thompson is averaging 22.9 points for the Cougars, who at 14-5 have a realistic chance of making the NCAA tournament just one season after finishing in the Pac-10 cellar. Thompson is shooting a career-high 47.4 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from 3-point range, both respectable numbers for a guy who hoists an average of 16 shots per game.

“He’s going to go down as one of the greatest players to ever come out of Washington State,” Bone said.

For whatever reason, though, Thompson isn’t as high on the draft boards as some people may think. Draftexpress.com, one of the more reputable websites that covers the draft year-round, currently lists Thompson as an early second-round pick.

That’s why Bone’s comments seem a bit premature.

Thompson – whose father, Mychal, was the No. 1 pick in the 1978 draft – is no doubt good enough to make a lot of money in the NBA. But would he leave Washington State a year early if he wasn’t guaranteed to be a first-round pick? Washington State doesn’t have a single senior on its current roster. If Thompson returned the Cougars would almost certainly open the 2011-12 season ranked in the Top 25 – if not the Top 15.

As much as the Cougars would like their star to return, they’re not looking that far ahead.

A victory in Saturday’s game against Arizona would move Washington State one step closer to earning an NCAA berth for the first time under Bone. As good as Thompson has been, the Wildcats feature a player (Derrick Williams) who has created an even bigger buzz in college basketball circles this season.

Williams, a forward, is averaging 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds for the 15-4 Wildcats. Another draft website, nbadraft.net, projects Williams as the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

if thomas was 6’4 people will be saying he’s a lottery pick..but his lack of height has his draft status uncertain…

thompson is an outstanding shooter..but has to get a better handle..i see him going in the 2nd round…

[BKKnicksfanParticipant]

I like Klay Thompson. He sorta reminds me of Fields in the sense that he might not be the most athletic player, but he’s gonna be smart and make tons of hustle plays and be effective as a rookie. I think a system like San Antonio, Utah could be best for him

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