LSU freshman forward Anthony Randolph announced Tuesday morning that he will enter this year’s NBA draft. Alongside interim coach Butch Pierre, Randolph – who arrived at the 10 a.m. press conference 45 minutes late – made his decision to enter the NBA Draft official Tuesday morning after several days of intense speculation. “I feel that there cannot be a better time to declare for the draft,” Randolph said. “I am well aware of my challenges that young men face in entering the professional ranks of any career; however, I believe that I am ready to face these challenges with a positive attitude, and I have faith and determination that I will succeed in these endeavors.” Randolph said he made the decision after much discussion with his family and coaches. “I consulted some other people I know and just came to the conclusion that now was the best time for him to come out,” said Pat Washington, Randolph’s high school coach. “There’s a lot of people in the NBA who happen to think he’s a pretty good basketball player.” Randolph is the fourth LSU forward in as many years to declare early for the NBA draft. The New Orleans Hornets selected Brandon Bass in the second round in 2005 after his sophomore season, and the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Tyrus Thomas fourth overall in 2006 after his freshman season; Thomas was then traded to the Chicago Bulls. Most recently, the Seattle Supersonics picked Glen “Big Baby” Davis in the second round of the 2007 draft after his junior season. The Sonics then traded Davis to the Boston Celtics. Washington said he was proud of his former player’s ability to reach this level so quickly, although he has previously dealt with big men who reached the NBA. “I’ve been through this process before,” Washington said. “I’ve worked closely with [Portland forward/center] LaMarcus Aldridge and [New Jersey forward/center] Sean Williams, but I’m happy for Anthony because in high school this is something he’s always expressed.” Randolph refuted reports he has hired an agent. Talk circulated this past week linking Randolph to agent B.J. Armstrong and most recently to agent Thad Foucher. “I have never heard of that man before in my life,” Randolph said of Foucher. “I haven’t signed with any agent, and I don’t plan to any time soon.” If Randolph does not hire an agent, it would leave the door open to potentially return to LSU. After saying LSU’s coaching decision would affect his future with the Tigers, Randolph said Tuesday the time had come for him to decide regardless of LSU’s coaching situation. “I wouldn’t want to play for any other coach than coach Pierre,” Randolph said. “But I had to make the decision that was best for me and my family.” If Pierre was named LSU’s coach, Randolph said he is unsure if that would have affected his decision. “That’s a hypothetical question,” Randolph said. “I can’t answer that because it’d be different circumstances.” Pierre said Randolph’s decision was not a hasty one, and he said Randolph wanted to wait until after the season to make the announcement. “I think he had his mind made up before now,” Pierre said. “For some reason he wanted to wait until after the Final Four was over because he didn’t want to take away from that.” Randolph thanked everyone in LSU’s community during his opening statement and said he still plans to continue his education with LSU. The NBA Draft will take place June 26 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. ESPN’s Chad Ford ranks Randolph as the No. 5 prospect, and various mock drafts project Randolph in the top 10. Most mocks tend to have Randolph being selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers or Charlotte Bobcats. Randolph was the No. 13 scorer in the Southeastern Conference this past season, averaging 15.6 points per game. Randolph’s 8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game were each good enough for No. 3 in the conference and No. 1 among SEC freshmen. Pierre said he has seen Randolph’s NBA ability since the recruiting process. “First of all, I told him I could pick ’em,” Pierre said. “He should’ve been a McDonald’s All-American, and that’s proven now. The second thing is I told him if he stayed at LSU more than two years, that’s his fault.”
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