West Virginia sophomore forward Devin Ebanks and Syracuse junior forward Wesley Johnson are both headed to the NBA Draft.
“I have decided to enter my name into the 2010 NBA draft,” Ebanks said in a statement. “I spoke to my mother and the coaching staff, and we have decided that I should explore my options to pursue a dream that I have had since I was a little kid. I want to thank West Virginia University, my coaches, my teammates and all the great fans.”
“I certainly enjoyed coaching Devin for two years,” coach Bob Huggins said. “He was extremely coachable and was a great teammate. We certainly wish him the best for a long and prosperous career.”
The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Ebanks is a Long Island City, N.Y. native who averaged 12 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists for a team that won the Big East tournament title and fell to Duke in the national semifinals.
The 6-7 Johnson was to hold a press conference at 3 p.m. Monday at Syracuse to announce his decision.
“It’s a bittersweet moment for him,” Craig Carroll, Johnson’s brother, told The Syracuse Post-Standard. “He thoroughly enjoyed Syracuse. He loves it there. At the same time, he knows this is something he has to do.”
Johnson averaged team-bests of 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds and beat out Villanova senior guard Scottie Reynolds for Big East Player of the Year honors.
DraftExpress.com projects Johnson as the No. 8 pick and Ebanks as the No. 29 pick in the June 24 NBA Draft.
