Syracuse Basketball Stars To Enter NBA Draft

On Campus reporter Matt Gelb blogs:

Syracuse’s Sweet 16 men’s basketball team could have a decidedly different look next season.

Three of the Orange’s key players: Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris will declare for the NBA draft, Syracuse announced today.

Flynn does not plan to hire an agent yet, according to a press release. If he doesn’t, he can still return to school if he pulls his name out by June 15. The release does not specifically say if Devendorf or Harris will retain an agent.

Pete Moore, director of athletic communications at Syracuse, said none of the three players have yet hired agents, and that it would be speculation to read further into the wording of the release.

The three players have yet to file the official paperwork with the NBA, Moore added.

The Daily Orange first reported on Wednesday that Devendorf would enter the draft.

Flynn, a sophomore, is considered one of the top guards in the draft pool. He averaged 17.4 points per game as Syracuse’s top scorer in 2008-09. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim told ESPN.com that he encouraged Flynn to enter the draft to see his standing. If he is a top-10 pick, Boeheim said Flynn would stay in the draft.

Both Devendorf and Harris have one-year of eligibility remaining if they choose to come back to school.

Devendorf averaged 15.7 points per game. Harris posted 28 double-doubles while averaging 12.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

In December, Devendorf was suspended for two games by the university for his role in a verbal altercation with a female student. The original suspension issued by the university’s judicial board was for the entire season, but it was reduced after Devendorf appealed.

Harris was benched for one game in January for missing practice.

Syracuse lost to Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 this year after missing the NCAA Tournament the previous two seasons.