Xavier's Jordan Crawford decided Wednesday that he will explore the possibility of entering the NBA draft while leaving open his option of returning for another season with the Musketeers.
The sophomore guard led the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 20.5 points per game and had a sensational NCAA tournament, helping the Musketeers reach the round of 16 for the third straight season. Xavier lost a 101-96 double-overtime game to Kansas State in the regional semifinal, with Crawford making one clutch shot after another. He averaged 29 points in the tournament.
Crawford hasn't hired an agent. Players have until May 8 to withdraw from consideration and retain their college eligibility.
``I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the day he went in either direction - he goes to the NBA or he comes back for his junior season at Xavier,'' coach Chris Mack said, in a phone interview.
Crawford sat out last season after transferring from Indiana. He wants to get a better idea of where he'd be drafted before deciding whether to hire an agent and leave school.
``I really felt Jordan's goal all along has been to perform well enough to be considered a solid NBA first-round draft pick,'' Mack said. ``At this point, there's not enough information to solidly know where he stands, where he'd be slotted.''
