According to KVUE News last night in Austin. An article was released by Kirk Bohls this morning saying there's about an 80% chance that he's going pro. Granted, Bohls is a moron, but he does have plenty of connections in the program. If he does go pro, best of luck to TJ. Is T.J. gone? Longhorn leader or lottery winner? Final Four focal point or draft fodder? Here's that Ford -- all 5 feet, 10 inches of him -- leaves early for NBA By Kirk Bohls AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, April 16, 2003 Brace yourself, Austin. T.J. Ford is as good as gone. I would very much like to be wrong on this -- hey, I thought Joe Millionaire would pick Sarah -- but there's probably a better chance of Texas winning next year's Big 12 football championship than there is of Ford returning for his junior season. Let's put the odds at 80-20, in favor of T.J. leaving. If Ford does exit, we should get down on our knees, thank the best college basketball player in America for stopping by and no-look passing the Longhorns into a new era, and prepare to watch him be serenaded by Mariah Carey someday following a long NBA career. The kid is that good. As the consensus national player of the year, he's been more decorated than a Mardi Gras float. Is he ready for the NBA? Of course not. But neither was Kwame Brown nor Corey Maggette nor any number of early defectors to that league. T.J.'s shooting went south in the NCAA tournament, where he hit one three-pointer and shot 31 percent overall in five games. He needs more strength. If he can't nail 'em from the college line, how's he going to do it from way out? And then there's his height. There's never been a 5-foot-10-inch guard taken first in the draft, and there probably never will be. "Not likely," one NBA executive said Tuesday. Without question, Ford is lottery-pick good, but he probably will not better his draft status by staying. To find the last true point guard taken first in the NBA draft -- other than the uniquely built and talented Allen Iverson -- you have to go all the way back to the magic that Earvin Johnson wove in 1979. NBA types will always gravitate to the next great big man, the next Tim Duncan. That is, if they're not otherwise infatuated with the nation's best player to emerge on prom night or the guy with the name you can't pronounce from Spain or Brazil. Besides, there's more risk attached to taking a little guy. Tony Parker, at 6-1, might take the Spurs to an NBA title in just his second season, but he wasn't picked until the 28th selection of the 2001 draft. The last three years, there hasn't been a shorter lottery pick than the 6-2 Jay Williams from Duke and Dajuan Wagner from Memphis. In one 2003 mock draft, 10 point guards are projected to be taken in the first round, none of them shorter than 6-1. In the NBA, size matters. A lot. Of the 400-plus players currently on NBA rosters and injured lists, only 14 can stand under a 6-foot ladder. And of those, just one -- Iverson -- is a legitimate superstar. But T.J. is Iverson-special. He isn't another Iverson and never will be the shooter the 76er is. You can't stay in front of Ford. Kansas' Kirk Hinrich and Oregon's Luke Ridnour are taller, better shooters and solid passers, but they're not in T.J.'s realm as a passer. T.J. had 13 assists against Syracuse, and we yawned. Ford has opened the door to renewed speculation and said there's "a possibility" he will turn pro early. Here's betting he'll walk right through that door to the Clippers or Wizards or Knicks, where the New York media would immediately pronounce him the best thing since bottled water. Those close to the Texas program think that unless something crazy happens he will turn pro, although he has until May 12 to declare. Even then, he could back out up to 48 hours before the draft if he does not retain an agent. "He's put himself in a special position," the NBA source said. "Outside of his overall abilities, his character and impact on the game and (desire) to win is a special, special thing. I don't see him (slipping) as far as No. 10. He's probably looking at No. 5 to 7." The rub in all of this is that I don't think Ford wants to leave. He's having too much fun, enjoying college too much, wants the big prize too badly. If he returns, Texas could be a preseason No. 1 -- and a postseason No. 1, too. If he leaves, the Horns will be top 25, although 6-3 guard Randy Pulley of Barton County (Kan.) Community College could fill the void if he doesn't sign with Arizona, North Carolina or Missouri. T.J. desperately does not want to let his teammates down -- an admirable notion from a consummate leader -- but that ultimately shouldn't be the deciding factor. He should go if he's ready to grow up and let basketball become a job. He should stay if he doesn't want the college experience to end. Outside forces and pressure -- whether from parents, sneaker moguls or agents -- could easily convince Ford he should go pro because he has done all he can do in college, short of winning a national title. But that may be the one thing where being short bothers T.J. the most. Longhorn fans can only hope. kbohls@statesman.com
**** that. You don't make comments that say you're definitely staying, more than once, then go back on it. If he leaves...good riddance. I'm sure Thomas, Ivey, Boddicker, and Mouton will be extremely happy. This team could be pre-season #1 next year.
I've got an e-mail out to someone close to the program and who has lunch with Bohls once a week asking how accurte this is.
Baqui, Kirk Bohls knows **** about what he is talking about. I can't believe a lot of UT fans have forgotten the scene at the end of the Michigan State game with TJ embracing coach Barnes. That tells the answer right there. TJ is a loyal person and won't ditch his "coach" and his "boys" in JT, Ivey, Brian, and Brandon in their last year here. Especially without a point guard groomed in the wings for them, and Gibson isn't here until 2004. Just because ESPN can't leave the young man alone doesn't mean the situation has changed. It just means the NBA is desperate to get their hands on him. Or ESPN has a personal agenda. Also, take the AAS with a grain of salt. That has to be one of the worst major publications in existence by far. I wish there was a competiting newspaper so I could read it instead. Oh, wait, I already do, it's called the Daily Texan, the student newspaper at UT-Austin. Bottom line: just don't listen to ESPN or Bohls or anyone in the media. TJ's actions this year speak louder than words. And if he does leave, which I doubt, we as a university, are better off for having him here for 2 years, rather than none.
TJ needs to learn how to shoot a jumpshot, he will get eaten up in the pros right now. See Jamal Tinsley for a bigger version of TJ.....stay in school TJ....learn to shoot.... DD
I just hope he doesn't turn into a Mateen Cleaves in the NBA. Cleaves was all-world in college, but couldn't make a jumper to save his life.
Yes it does seem that Bohls likes to write just to stir up controversy and get his name out in sporting circles. I'm not going to put too much stock into this possibly devestating news quite yet. After all the times I've seen him say he's planning on coming back (and the way he seemed so peeved when he had to answer that question time and time again), I can't believe he would do a complete 180... not yet at least. I'm starting to respect Roy Williams more and more now, though. At least he refused to comment on the UNC job, rather than lie to our faces.
I'd watch a gay porno with John Goodman and George Wendt before I'd watch Mateen Cleaves shoot another jumper....U-G-L-Y... Ford will need to work on his jumper. He has pretty much all the other tools to be productive in the NBA...
Well, just got an e-mail saying this story is, in fact, true. Of course, the same guy told me that Mihm was going to stay, so who knows?
Welcome back to mediocrity, Horns. I guess the only good news is that the Big XII is losing almost all of its stars. Ford Roy Williams Heinrich Collison Emmett Price
His game has some holes but he is projected as a high lottery pick its pretty hard for him turn that down. His stock probaly wont be this high again so he should go for it. He does screw his team over they may have been #1 preseason. But for TJ's best interest this makes sense.
Well RM95, I don't think I've hoped for someone to be more wrong than your e-mail source. This will destroy our hopes for next season. Just when Texas basketball was getting some well-deserved recognition on the national scene, the hammer may get dropped. I wonder who the Big XII favorite will be next year if this happens. OU?
Until I see a headline from ESPN or some credible news source saying TJ declares, I take this stuff with a grain of salt. And If TJ does leave, we won't be mediocre, Rick Barnes will make sure we are a national power. RM95, sources can be wrong. I will work in the media industry in a few years, and I have seen plenty of false information passed around. As you said, he missed on Mihm staying already. I still remember the hug after MSU, the 110% quote and the way he enjoys being in college. Therefore, while he has every right to go, right now I doubt he does. I really can't see TJ leaving his coach and his boys on the team like Royal, JT, Brandon without a replacement, and the only other pg on the team graduated this year in Ross. But still, if he leaves, Rick Barnes will go get a huge juco point guard for this year or Royal will be asked to score like I know he can but he doesn't always do. This basketball program is in good hands with or without TJ Ford. And that's because Rick Barnes is our head coach.
Couldn't Roy Williams (our RW) step in and tell him the benefits of staying with a winning program for one more season? I thought they were close pals.
My source did say that it wouldn't be the end of the world as Barnes has a replacement lined up. He sounded pretty excited about it. I still say that UT would be the South favorite, at least.
