Jeff Teague Applying For Draft But Not Hiring Agent
Wake Forest sophomore guard Jeff Teague will submit his name for the upcoming NBA Draft but will not retain an agent, enabling himself the opportunity to return to Wake Forest for the 2009-10 season.
Teague, a 6-2 guard from Indianapolis (Pike HS) led Wake Forest to a 24-7 record this past season and a second place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference. A second team All-ACC selection, Teague led the Demon Deacons with 18.8 points per game and 110 assists. He was named to the All-America second team by the Sporting News and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.Teague has scored exactly 1,000 points in his two-year career as a Demon Deacon.
Wake Forest head coach Dino Gaudio is supportive of Teague's decision.
"Jeff has proven himself to be one of the top players in the nation," said Gaudio. "The NBA allows a student-athlete to declare for the draft and withdraw one time during their career. This will be a chance for Jeff to be evaluated by the NBA scouts and general managers and to get feedback on his strengths and weaknesses. I am optimistic that Jeff will be back at Wake Forest next year and that he will have a good idea of the type of junior season he needs to have in order to ensure a solid professional career."
Underclassmen who declare for the draft have until June 15 to withdraw their name and maintain their college eligibility. The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25.
James Johnson Skipping Final Two Years at Wake to Go Pro
Wake Forest sophomore James Johnson says he will declare for the NBA Draft early next week.
"My mind's made up; I'm going to enter," the Cheyenne East graduate said by phone on Friday. "I think I'm ready now.
"If I sign with an agent and get into a training camp, it will help me out a lot. I just want to work hard and go as far as I can."
Johnson, 22, said he is currently interviewing agents. Signing with one would prevent him from removing his name from the draft and returning to Wake Forest.
The NBA Draft is set for June 25.
Johnson said he expects to meet with second-year Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio over the weekend and schedule a news conference for next week to announce his decision.
"I've already talked to Coach Gaudio and (assistant Pat) Kelsey and let them know," Johnson said. "Coach Kelsey was a big reason I'm here, and I worked hard to get here.
"I've told them I've been lucky to be coached by them. They know this is best for my career, but they're sad I've got to go."
Johnson started 59 of the 61 games he played at Wake Forest and averaged 14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. He was runner-up in Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year voting and was a third-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore.
This season, Johnson helped the Demon Deacons go 24-7 and contributed in a big way in the 70-68 win over then-No. 1 Duke on Jan. 28. He scored the game-winning layup, and Wake ascended to No. 1 after that contest.
Still, Johnson said his final game with the Deacons will be one that sticks him the most.Wake Forest, the Midwest Region's No. 4 seed, was upset by 13th-seeded Cleveland State, 84-69, in the first round of this year's NCAA Tournament.
"I was upset at the time that it could have been my last college game," he said. "Now it is my last college game. I'm still kind of upset about that.
"This is a business, and I have to make business decisions. I'd kind of like to pay (Cleveland State) back, but who knows if we'd ever play them again? I'm just trying to think about my future right now."
Various web sites specializing in draft predictions have Johnson going in the middle of the first round. All of these mocks include all of the draft-eligible players, regardless of whether they have officially declared.
Johnson's Wake Forest teammates Jeff Teague (sophomore) and Al-Farouq Aminu (freshman) are also projected as first-round picks, though neither has declared.
