Dominic To Declare?

[MUDPT]

Draft Express is reporting that he is going to declare, but not hire an agent.  They expect him to stay in the draft however.

http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1985

[LastWarrior]

-Dominic James will be announcing that he's putting his name in the draft, according to a source close to the situation. For now he will be just testing the waters and not hiring an agent, but it appears likely that he is in the draft for good. Where he lands will depend heavily on who amongst Mike Conley Jr, Darren Collison, Javaris Crittenton and Gabe Pruitt ends up declaring for the draft, as this draft could quickly return to being a very weak one for point guards if all those decide to return to school. James finished off the season in a horrible slump that extended for almost two months, and right now is by no means guaranteed to be a first round pick. If he can have a good showing in the pre-draft camp and then show NBA executives in workouts just how explosive a player he is, he has a chance to regain the ground he lost in his stock.

I still doubt he goes... the list of underclassmen above but also Taurean Green (JR #11), Acie Law (SR #1), Sean Singletary (JR #14), Mustafa Shakur (SR #12), Bobby Brown (SR #16), Aaron Brooks (SR #22), Jarius Jackson (SR #34), Ron Steele (JR #19), Chalmers (SO #9), Stuckey (SO #4) and others and I don't see DJ being a top 20 pick or even a top 8 PG in the draft.  Of all these guys, I'd take Conley, Collison, Law, Green, Singletary, Shakur, Steele, & Chalmers above DJ!  He's an explosive athlete but he's not a good basketball player right now.  Sure the NBA scounts falls in loves with athletes but I just don't see his athleticism making up for his shot or shot selection.

[Desert_Eagle]

I wonder how reliable that source is.

It is totally understandable that DJ is testing the waters, but I personally think its ridiculous for him to go to the NBA this year. Talk some sense into him, Crean!

[Desert_Eagle]

He's an explosive athlete but he's not a good basketball player right now.  Sure the NBA scounts falls in loves with athletes but I just don't see his athleticism making up for his shot or shot selection.

Well said.

[MUCam]

"I personally think its ridiculous for him to go to the NBA this year. "

- Probably a little premature to make this comment. We can point out all the deficiencies we want, but if NBA GM's and scouts tell him he's a first round lock, then the decision to leave looks less and less "ridiculous." Fact is, until we know where he's accurately projected to go, we probably shouldn't judge his decision to go (assuming he does go, that is). And, until he works out and participates in the pre-draft camps (and until others decide whether or not to declare), we probably won't have a good idea where he is accurately projected to go.

[LastWarrior]

I just want to add that I think DJ can be a servicable NBA PG but I think he's going to need to improve his on-court decision making and shot.  His athleticism will help make up for his size top a point but he'll need to improve the other attributes to get him into the league this year.

[jage]

it's important to note that the nba draft is about drafting the players that have the most potential. the lottery picks are typically those who have proven their abilities and can make an immediate impact, but only a handful of the rest of the first round are that type of player. everyone else is drafted on potential. the flaws in the game of d. james are teachable (i.e. shot selection, managing the game, etc), but you simply cannot teach the athleticism and strength that he has. he'll get drafted, no doubt, if he declares and stays in the draft...

that said, i don't think it will be that big of a loss...sure he was our leading scorer, but he also took the most shots on the team (that's a guess), something that a pg shouldn't be doing (in my opinion). maurice acker will be a much better floor general and i think that jerel and wes are true scorers. acker will get them more involved and hopefully open up our inside game with barro and mbakwe. next year could be very interesting if james does leave.

also, if james doesn't leave and people like conley, crittendon, collison, etc. stay, they are most surely to leave next year and if james has another poor year next year, his nba ship may have sailed. it may be now or never (well...at least much later) for james.

[ChicosBailBonds]

My buddy at Draft Express sent the article over to me earlier today...I asked him how legit it was.  He said they were going with it.  I put it on our blog as well but I think it's safe to assume until we hear it from Crean or James then treat it with kid gloves.

These guys are not infallible obviously...my buddy has a "regular gig" and writes for Draft Express on the side as do 99% of their writers.  Incidentally, my bud did not write this article, but his dad went to Marquette  in the 1960's and he's a UCLA alum so he knows of my interest in James and he's hoping Collison doesn't go pro...thus the mutual interest.

[Niv Berkowitz]

I too, would like to have James back, but if he plays like sophomore year James, then oh well.

MU is in a decent possition to succeed w/out him should he stay in the draft.

Personally, I'll be shocked if he stays in, but then again, like people say, it's a bad year for PGs.

[LastWarrior]

the flaws in the game of d. james are teachable (i.e. shot selection, managing the game, etc), but you simply cannot teach the athleticism and strength that he has.

Unfortunatley, the biggest flaw with DJ is something you can't teach... HEIGHT!

Also, I agree that the NBA drafts on potential but I believe that the majority of those players are big men.  The only players that I can think of that went to the NBA straight out of high school as PG's were Livingston and Telfair and they were both over 6'.  You can throw Kobe as a player out of H.S. but I don't think we would even want to bring him into the discussion. 

[4everwarriors]

the dumbest mistake of his basketball life. Can you say Darius Washington?

[Murffieus]

DJ will overachieve in pre draft workouts -----first of all there are no zones to play against and secondly his athleticism & strength will show better in an unstructured environment where defense aren't designed to stop HIM like they were all season long! Sees the floor and distributes the ball as well as anyone.

I too believe it's "do or die" for him this year for the NBA----as there are a lot more PGs coming in behind him next year-------remember Chris Thomas a few years back.

[ChicosBailBonds]

DJ will overachieve in pre draft workouts -----first of all there are no zones to play against and secondly his athleticism & strength will show better in an unstructured environment where defense aren't designed to stop HIM like they were all season long! Sees the floor and distributes the ball as well as anyone.

I too believe it's "do or die" for him this year for the NBA----as there are a lot more PGs coming in behind him next year-------remember Chris Thomas a few years back.

Which means if he comes out after his senior year he would be in great shape.

[77ncaachamps]

I applaud his efforts to test the waters.

Then maybe he'll hear from NBA Scouts what MUScoop's members have been saying all along: practice your shooting and stop dribbling in place!

Okay, I added the last one in. 

[The Lens]

If think it's dumb for guys not to declare.  You go thru the interview process, you play against the best at your level, you put yourslef in front of the top decision makers in your industry.  If you can declare with out and agent and not make a fool of yourself (ie Bart Miller should not have declared as a soph), all you are doping is better preparing yourself for your future.

As for him staying in, all we see is the warts b/c they show up in losses and all we care about is MU's W-L record.  A scout / GM looks for potential.  What can DJ be in a year or two?  That's what they will look at.  He can work on his his jumper but you can't teach quickness, an amazing vertical etc. 

[Harrison]

well said Damon key....

people like to come on the board and point out all his weaknesses.  Well having read the boards for years most posters know very little baout the game.  Additionally, you get posts like Last warrior's classic..."He's an explosive athlete but he's not a good basketball player right now.'  That's a good one.  be rookie of the year and 1st team all big east his next as voted by the coaches of the conference.  Retarded.  Does he have deficiencies...absolutely.  But the bottom line as Damon keys objectively states is where he ranks or projects.  He could be one of the worst basketball players in the world...but if the NBA cannot find 30 better players, than guess waht? he goes in the first round!!!!  So despite all the haters that tear him down because he has not met THEIR expectations, your opinions mean zilch!!  He stil scored 15 a game should a great ability to pass and drive.  His ability to drive and assists numbers would have been much higher is he had players that could shoot or any semblance of an inside prescence.  Scout can see that most on this board cannot.  Who's better taurean Green or DJ?  Put DJ on Fla. and he is unstoppbale on the drive and gets 8-9 dimes a game.  Whether he stays or goes I have no idea but the comments and the basis most are using for why he should stay ar ludicrous.  He needs to work on his shot everything else is NBA ready, take away the shot as afactor and he is arguably better in every other aspect of the game than his fellow PG's.  Sorry for all his haters that...actually want him to come back? As bad as he is wouldnt MU be better off without him?

[Murffieus]

I get the impression that he wants out of Div 1 BB in the worst way----not a negative reflection on MU  ----- just that he has his heart on the next level and has felt that way for at least since the end of last season.

He looked bored out there to me quite a bit this year! Didn't have the same zip!

[mviale]

Think DJ has much potential, but not as good as previous MU PGs that have not made the pros - Hutch comes to mind.

[bilsu]

There were a couple of games where Dominic really took over last season. Duke and Valparaiso. Most of the other games he seemed to just go through the motions. Sometimes McNeal would drive me crazy, because he was always trying to do everything, but James decided to let him do that. Later on in the season James seemed to try harder, but was in such a shooting slump that he was hurting the team. Overall, considering his freshman year, his sophomore year was very disappointing. Ignoring his shooting slump he still showed great point guard skills. He rarely turned the ball over and had some great passes off his drives. However, he did not display the explosiveness he had as a freshmen.  This was obvious in the Michigan St game when just about every time he tried to drive he was stopped. Some of this can be attributed to Michigan St's defense. However, my wife claimed from the beginning of the season that there was something physically wrong with James. I thought it was mental. My feeling was he was receiving a lot of pressure from people to go pro when he really did not want to and therefore he was subconsiously underpreforming. Whatever the reason a good majority of his points came off layups from steals made from McNeal. Take away his layups and he probably only shot 20% for the year. If he cannot get his head back in the game, MU will be better if he leaves.

[mviale]

Murf - agree with your comments - he must have had his head somewhere else.

With the possible departure of DJ, who starts at the point next year ~ Cube or the Frosh Scott Christopherson?

[4everwarriors]

Acker if James leaves. Christopherson should get alot of PT since he possesses the outside shot this team needs desperately.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Here's one fan hoping James stays next year and his senior year.  Regardless, I'm sure most of us wish him well in whatever his future holds.

[OneMadWarrior]

If HE declares and stays in the draft he is in for a lot of disappointment. There is not much market for an under 6 foot shooting PG who can't make a consistent jumper, is a horrible free throw shooter and makes poor decisions on the court. He is better off staying and getting his education because who knows if he will ever develop that outside game. If he does declare he should not hire an agent and that way if he does play off the charts this year, and if he doesn't get drafted, then he can pull a Randolph Morris.

[muarmy81]

Selfishly I hope he stays for at least another year.  He's just not a typical PG.  He's similar (in size and athleticism) to Jameer Nelson but the difference is that Nelson can shoot.  I agree that scouts draft on potential and he's definitely got potential and the biggest factor has to be the other PGs coming out but going on what he has to offer right now he'd be taking a big risk.
As far as saying he'll be great because he was 1st team BE I say that's more political than anything.  I mean you could argue that Jerel was the team's most valuable player and he should have been 1st team but because James came in with more national attention I think he got that award almost by default.
Whatever happens, I hope James does well...but I'd prefer he do well one more year at Marquette.

[MU_Freak]

If I were him, I'd want to get the hell out of here.  I was walking to class behind Dominic a few weeks ago, and a group of people walking past us started booing him.  What the hell is wrong with people?