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Still feeling a draft
Odom to turn pro after URI drops waiver request
Posted: Thursday June 24, 1999 09:36 PM
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Odom (right) led Rhode Island in scoring and rebounding last season. AP |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Sophomore forward Lamar Odom, who sought
this week to pull out of the NBA draft despite having signed with
an agent, will turn pro after all.
Rhode Island announced Friday evening that it will not seek a
waiver that would allow Odom, considered a top five prospect in the
draft, to return to college basketball.
Odom, who played only one season with the Rams, lost his
collegiate eligibility May 26 when he signed a contract with an
agent. But he soon changed his mind.
"During his time away, he realized he was just a piece of
property," assistant athletic director John Vanner said Thursday.
Odom's agent resigned Tuesday.
Rhode Island officials spent four days deciding whether they had
enough of a case to appeal to the NCAA for a waiver of its
eligibility rules. In the end, they bailed out.
"They didn't really feel there was enough of a case," school
spokesman Mike Ballweg said Friday. He refused to say on which
grounds the university considered making an appeal, citing a
concern for Odom's privacy.
The 6-foot-10 Odom led Rhode Island in scoring (17.6) and
rebounding (9.4) last season. He hit a 25-footer at the buzzer as
Rhode Island beat Temple in the Atlantic 10 tournament championship
game.
Odom now has to convince NBA teams that he has a strong
commitment to the league. Last weekend, he skipped a league-wide
physical. He later missed workouts with the Charlotte Hornets and
Chicago Bulls.
But Ballweg said Odom's future is not totally bleak.
"The NBA certainly is an attractive option. It isn't his first.
But playing for $12 million is not a bad option," he said,
referring to the contract value a top draft pick can sign.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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