April 23, 2008
UT Guards Augustin, Abrams Eye the NBA
Abrams' name emerged first, as his father told the Statesman, "He’s not disgruntled with UT, but this is a business. He’s serious about it.”
Later in the day, sources told the Statesman that Augustin also planned to apply for draft eligibility.
Both players do not intend to hire an agent, which leaves open the possibility that they could change their mind prior to a June 16 deadline and return to UT next season.
Augustin earned All-America honors this year as a sophomore and won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard. He averaged more than 19 points per game. Abrams is a junior who is the Longhorns' career leader in three-point baskets and averaged 16.5 points per game this season.
Both players would join a crop of top-notch guards who are expected to be available in the draft: Memphis' Derrick Rose, USC's O.J. Mayo, Arizona's Jerryd Bayless, Indiana's Eric Gordon, and UCLA's Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook. Many of those players are underclassmen who have yet to declare for the draft.
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