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UNIVERSITY PARK -- SMU junior guard Bryan Hopkins said Thursday he plans to enter the NBA draft.

Hopkins, a second-team all-WAC selection, averaged 17.9 points this season.

Hopkins, a Lincoln graduate, said he will attend all the necessary pre-draft camps to prove to NBA teams he is worthy of being drafted.

Hopkins has not hired an agent.

WTF?

He'd better not hire an agent so he can come back for his senior year. He's gonna find out real fast there is no market for a kid that can do no better than 2nd team all WAC as a junior.

He will soon realize he is not good enough for the NBA. He didn't even make 1st Team WAC. What a joke.

I hate to come across as the jack@ss alum here, but is this grades related? Hopkins has no business coming out. And to further my jack@ss alum credentials, I hope he consulted his brother, because if I am Tubbs, I am pulling that scholarship tomorrow.

Leonard Hopkins at UNT stated the same thing recently. Is he really NBA ready either?

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasket ... age/440402

he's too slow, too inconsistent on his shooting, and too small for the NBA. This is a bad decision for BHOP

Well, he won't make it and come back next year if he doesn't have agent.

I think Lenoard is out of eligibilty, hence he might as well try cause otherwise he has to find a real job.

This is the single dumbest thing I can possibly imagine. What about that good education he's supposed to be getting at SMU? If our prospective graduates are no smarter than this, something is very wrong.

Buddy of mine that played football for Rice told me about this guy on the student training staff for Rice (i.e. not remotely a football player) declared his eligibility for the NFL draft and went so far as to request and file the appropriate paperwork. He started getting "Are you really, really serious letters?" from the league stating that the necessary background checks are extensive and expensive and encouraging him to stop the charade.

It was a funny bit.

This-not so much.

Pony_Fan wrote:Well, he won't make it and come back next year if he doesn't have agent.

You have to withdraw something like a 2 weeks to a month before the draft. You can't just go through the draft undrafted and go back to school.

this is done all the time. Its called testing the waters. Why do several of you have to criticize his game and him personally over it? If he leaves, whether its good for him or not, is it really that offensive? Lots of guys do this and there is no harm in it whatsoever. If he goes to some pre-draft camps and plays against some good competition, that can actually keep him in shape and improve his game over the summer.

I'd be more worried if the guy was lazy and wanted to sit around all summer and not play basketball. Quit fearing the unknown and wish the kid well, hes played hard for us. If he comes back next year, theres a good chance he'll be a better player for the experience.

I wish him luck. I think it is a mistake but hopefully he weighed what Tubbs can teach him and the polish another year could provide. I doubt seriously he will get even look from the NBA but maybe he just wants to play in Europe. He is probably good enough to make a decent living there although it isn't a slam dunk. Pardon the expression.

OldPony wrote:I wish him luck. I think it is a mistake but hopefully he weighed what Tubbs can teach him and the polish another year could provide. I doubt seriously he will get even look from the NBA but maybe he just wants to play in Europe. He is probably good enough to make a decent living there although it isn't a slam dunk. Pardon the expression.

I dont think his chances are great, but I disagree that he wont get a look from the NBA. He'll get a serious look. The NBA has a way of isolating individual talent, and separating the player from the overall success or lack of success of their college team. Lots of players who have lead their teams to NCAA tourney glory have been dismissed by the NBA and lots of guys who wallowed on mediocre to weak teams have made it in the NBA. Not saying Hopkins will, just that SMUs record is irrelevant and I think thats what most of those critical here really have against him.

I'm looking forward to Roberts running the point next year.

Yeah I agree with Hoop Fan, I think this is far from a done deal. Some might remember that Sasser did the same thing before his senior year, went to the camps, tested the waters, and when he didn't get the response he had hoped he came back. You have until two weeks before the draft before you have to officially sign up, and as long as you don't sign up and don't have an agent, you keep your eligibility. Probably makes sense to wait and see what ultimately happens.