Baylor's Quincy Miller entering NBA draft
Baylor forward Quincy Miller told Yahoo! Sports he has decided to enter the 2012 NBA draft.
Miller previously announced at an April 10 news conference that he planned to return for his sophomore season after being urged to do so by his mother and Baylor forward Percy Jones III, who entered this draft after his sophomore year. But Miller changed his mind and told Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday he will enter the draft with plans to hire agent Dwon Clifton of Envision Sports Agency. A Chicago native, Miller said he's going pro in part to help his family financially.
"On April 10, I kind of rushed my decision because I had a lot of pressure to make a decision," Miller told Yahoo! Sports. "I let the decision get to me. Every ballplayer has dreamed of being an NBA player. I also wanted to finish this semester without the distraction, and I've done that.
"It's going to be disappointing to some fans. I apologize if I excited too many people, but I feel like this is the best move for me. I love Baylor so much. I love the campus. I love the university. I love everything about Baylor. But I think, for myself right now, this was best for me."
Miller, the 2012 Big 12 co-Freshman of the Year, averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 24.4 minutes while starting 35 of his 37 games. One longtime NBA scout told Yahoo! Sports that Miller could get drafted as high as the middle of the first round.
Miller's strength is a concern among some scouts, but the 6-foot-9 forward said he has gained nine pounds of muscle since the season ended. He said he weighs 219 pounds and hopes to be at 230 by the beginning of the next NBA season.
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"His body is nowhere near mature to impact the NBA game yet," the NBA scout said. "He's a talented kid with good size and skills. He's a streaky shooter who can put it on the floor and get his own shot. He has range out to the college 3-pointer, but struggled with his shot all season.
"When he played well, he was a first-round talent. When he struggled this year, you really didn't even notice him. He never has really been able to reach a consistent medium."
Said Miller: "I think my skill set is undeniable. I have great work ethic. I've been working on my body since the season ended and I'm getting bigger already."
Miller, 19, now joins a growing list of college freshman in the draft that includes Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal, Austin Rivers, Tony Wroten, Marquis Teague and Moe Harkless. The NBA deadline for early draft entrants is Sunday.
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