Brandon Rush Withdraws Name From NBA Draft Consideration
May 25, 2007
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas basketball standout Brandon Rush has withdrawn his name from NBA draft consideration it was announced by Jayhawk head coach Bill Self Friday.
Rush, who completed his sophomore year at KU this spring, put his name into the NBA to be eligible for this year’s draft.
“Brandon and I met earlier today (Friday) and he told me that he was withdrawing his name from the 2007 NBA Draft and will return to Kansas for his junior year,” Self said.
“Brandon has handled the process exactly the way the system was designed and has followed through with everything he said he would do,” Self added. “I know in his mind he wanted to do this from a personal standpoint to investigate, but he never lost sight of the fact that he was going to make a smart decision that was based on his well-being for a career and not just the immediate future.”
Rush is a two-time All-Big 12 first team honoree and was a John Wooden Award All-America selection and a Naismith Award finalist in 2006-07. He has led the Jayhawks in scoring each of his first two seasons, including 13.8 points per game and was second in rebounding at 5.6 per contest this year. He also hit a team-best 50 three-pointers on the season.
“Throughout the process I have been able to give this much thought,” Rush said. “I appreciate the cooperation I have received in finding out about how the NBA teams feel about me right now. I thought all along that I would more than likely return to school, but it was something I needed to find out about.”
“We have a great team returning and I love my teammates,” he said. “The people at Kansas and the fans have treated me so well. It is hard to pass up the opportunity to experience another year of that.”
Rush, who suffered a knee injury recently, said that incident had little bearing on his decision.
“People will think the reason I am returning is because I injured my knee playing in a pickup game,” Rush said. “That is not true, but it did re-enforce to me that the time was not right to go to the NBA.”
Kansas will now return 13 of 14 players off last year’s team which went 33-5, won its third straight and 50th overall conference regular-season title, claimed its second straight and ninth overall league tournament championship and advanced to the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament.
“It has never been my goal that Brandon return,” Self said. “It has always been my goal that Brandon make the best decision for his future. I am excited for our fans and this upcoming season. I believe that Brandon will prepare harder than ever to put himself into a position that he will be a very high NBA draft pick after his junior season. My immediate concern is that Brandon has the knee evaluated and begins any rehabilitation that is required.”
