Deadline looming for James
As expected, MU sophomore guard Dominic James spoke on Wednesday with Stu Jackson, the head of the National Basketball Association's underclassmen advisory committee.
Coach Tom Crean also spoke with Jackson, but wouldn't get into specifics regarding what James ultimately learned.
"I know Dominic's had a chance to visit with Stu Jackson and so have I," said Crean on Wednesday night. "Now it's just a matter of Dominic doing what he feels is best for him."
Made up of a cross section of NBA personnel, the advisory committee is in place to give underclassmen such as James a final indication of where they might be drafted - if at all.
The deadline for pulling out of the draft is Monday.
"Everything is out there right now for him that he needs, with really nothing on the horizon coming up," said Crean. "Hopefully (James' decision) will be soon. He does have until Monday. He knows the timetable."
Considering James hasn't yet hired an agent, turned in a subpar performance at the NBA pre-draft camp and has conducted just one abbreviated individual workout for an NBA team, all signs would seem to point to his returning to MU for his junior season.
No replacement yet: Director of basketball operations Tim Buckley remains firmly in the mix to replace Jerry Sichting, who left Crean's staff earlier this week to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but as of now nothing has been finalized.
"We're in the process of a transition with the staff," Crean said. "Right now we're just working hard at the camps and going through things."
Buckley was a member of Crean's first staff at MU, and has since served as head coach at Ball State and an assistant at Iowa.
Practice makes perfect: Afforded 10 extra practices to prepare for a Labor Day trip to Vancouver to play a series of exhibition games, the Golden Eagles will go through at least a handful in the coming weeks.
Making the planning harder will be trying to fit them in with James (assuming he returns), Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews all juggling commitments elsewhere.
James will join McNeal and Matthews in trying out for USA Basketball's Pan Am Games team next month.
James will also be serving as a counselor at LeBron James' Nike basketball camp in Akron, Ohio, while McNeal will do the same at Kobe Bryant's Nike camp in Los Angeles.
"What I want is to have a couple practices next week," said Crean. "Probably practice a couple times when Jerel comes back and then maybe in July right before those guys leave. I'd like to have probably five, so I can do one on Saturday and then do four that first week we're back. The new kids can't go until we start school."
