Despite comments all season long, Theron Smith will not be in a Ball State uniform next season. And from the looks of things, neither will one other Ball State player.
After claiming all season that he would in fact return to the Cardinal squad next season, Smith has announced he will not return to the 2003-2004 Ball State men's basketball team.
Instead, Smith, who sat out all but three games of the 2002-2003 campaign with a knee injury, has declared that he will enter the 2003 NBA Draft. This was revealed in a press release sent to media early Saturday evening.
This will mark the second season in a row that Smith has entered his name in the draft, thus making him ineligible to play NCAA basketball next season.
Also, the Daily News has learned that in the midst of the news that Smith isn't returning to the team, it appears that another player may be missing from the lineup next season as well. According to two separate sources close to the team, Mark Farris will also not return to the team next season.
After contacting the junior forward, Farris confirmed the information stating that he would not return to the team.
"It's because of a lot of things," he said.
As far as Smith is concerned, according to Chris Taylor, assistant sports information director, Smith is currently in discussions about signing with an agent, an action that would also remove Smith from amateur status.
Robert Owens, a junior member of the team, said Sunday that the team was told of Smith's decision in a team meeting on Saturday. Owens explained that the meeting was in regards to off-season plans for individual players.
"I was surprised," Owens said of the announcement. "But, he knows what's best for him."
Owens explained that he hasn't really talked with Smith since Spring Break but explained that at no time did Smith express interest in pursuing the NBA this year.
Sophomore guard Matt McCollom expressed the same words saying that Smith had never shown interest in leaving for professional basketball this season.
"I was disappointed because I was looking forward to playing with 'T,'" McCollom said. "I wish him the best of luck, and I hope he's successful in what he does. It was a little bit of a shock. I think we'll be all right. We have plenty of time to prepare for this next season."
In the press release sent to media Saturday, Smith said, "This was a very tough decision. It was a decision that my family and I decided it was time to make."
Smith was not in attendance at the Cardinals final game of the season, a first round Mid-American Conference Tournament game against Bowling Green on March 10. Smith was visiting family in Florida at the time.
"I have enjoyed my four years at Ball State University," Smith said in the release. "The people at Ball State, the Muncie community and the fans of Ball State basketball made this decision a hard one. With the chance to pursue my dream of playing professional basketball, I believe the opportunity is now."
In the same release Ball State head coach Tim Buckley's only comment was, "Our staff, players and the Ball State basketball family wish Theron well in his pursuit of professional basketball."
Saturday evening, Taylor said that both Smith and Buckley declined to make any further comments than those included in Saturday's press release.
Smith had one year of eligibility remaining after claiming a redshirt status with this season's knee injury. In playing three games in the Top of the World Classic, Smith averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game this season.
The previous season, Smith was second in the nation in double-doubles with 23 such performances. For the 2001-2002 season, Smith averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds.
In Smith's career he scored 1,553 points, ranking seventh on Ball State's all-time list. He also ranks fourth in career rebounds with 862, has scored in double digits 82 times and pulled in double-digit rebounding numbers 43 times in his tenure at Ball State.
According to NBADraft.net, Smith is projected as the 41st pick in the 2004 draft. This projection was made before Smith's announcement that he will enter the 2003 draft.
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