BYU basketball: Cummard declares for NBA

PROVO — Another BYU basketball player is entering his name for the 2008 NBA Draft.

Junior guard Lee Cummard announced Friday that he will test the NBA waters and, like teammate Trent Plaisted — who declared for the draft earlier this month — he will not hire an agent in order to maintain his eligibility for a possible senior campaign with the Cougars.

"I want to see where I stand against some of the best competition in the world and see what my options are at that level," Cummard said in a statement. "I'm not hiring an agent because I want to keep open the opportunity to stay at BYU, but I'm going after this 100 percent. I'm looking to improve myself and make the best decision I can."

Cummard earned co-Mountain West Conference player of the year honors and was an Associated Press honorable mention All-America after helping lead the Cougars to their second straight league championship.

The 6-foot-7 swingman led BYU in scoring (15.8), field goal percentage (.569), 3-point percentage (.472) and blocked shots (1.0). He ranked second on the team in rebounds (6.3), assists (3.5), steals (0.9) and free throw percentage (.857).

"Lee had a terrific junior season for us, and he has decided to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the draft," Cougar coach Dave Rose said in a statement. "He is an excellent all-around player who helped us win another Mountain West Conference championship."

Now that he's announced his intentions of making himself eligible for the draft, Cummard can start receiving invitations to pre-draft camps, where players are evaluated in workouts with NBA teams. Sunday is the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft. Players who have not signed with an agent can return to school by withdrawing their names by June 16.

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E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com

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