BYU basketball: Jimmer Fredette declares for NBA draft

PROVO — Just like most of the nation's top juniors, BYU guard Jimmer Fredette is going to test the NBA waters.

Fredette on Monday declared for the 2010 NBA draft, but as expected, he will not hire an agent, which allows him to remove himself from the draft prior to May 8 and return to BYU for his senior season.

Most mock drafts don't have Fredette being picked in the first round, and only a few predict him being picked at all. The move, however, is common among talented juniors who want to know their NBA value and receive feedback on areas in which they need to improve.

"I've decided to put my name in the draft to explore my options with the NBA at this time," Fredette said through a BYU press release. "I'm not hiring an agent, to give me the opportunity to come back to BYU. I'm excited for this opportunity to see how I compare with the best players in the nation and to gain feedback on how I can improve as a basketball player."

Fredette's hope is that he'll be invited to a few NBA pre-draft workouts the next few weeks so he'll have a better idea of where he ranks with NBA scouts. Also, it will be a chance for him to showcase his skills to NBA officials, which could increase his stock.

Should he impress a few teams to the point where the evaluation feedback indicates he'll be a high draft pick, Fredette will likely stay in the draft. Otherwise, he'll likely pull out of the draft and keep his eligibility at BYU.

"Jimmer's a great player and has been a big part of our success these past three seasons," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "He's a great scorer and distributor who really makes our offense go. Jimmer's an All-American and helped us advance in the NCAA Tournament this season. He's excited to explore the opportunities that might be available to him in the NBA Draft."

This is the fourth straight year that a BYU underclassman has declared for the NBA draft. Trent Plaisted did three years ago but hired an agent and was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round. Two years ago, Lee Cummard declared but returned to BYU. Jonathan Tavernari took the same route last spring.

Among the dozen or so national juniors who have declared for the NBA draft, without hiring an agent, are New Mexico's Darrington Hobson, Butler's Gordon Hayward, Richmond's Kevin Anderson, Florida's Alex Tyus and Penn State's Talor Battle.