Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: Singing superstar Whitney Houston dies at 48

Thabeet goes on — UConn star enters NBA draft

7-foot-3 center led Huskies to Final Four, contender to go No. 1 overall

Slideshow
Hasheem Thabeet, Devin Ebanks, Wellington Smith
  Man in the middle
Take a look at Hasheem Thabeet, the former Connecticut defensive star

more photos

STORRS, Conn. - Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet has decided to give up his final year of college eligibility and enter the NBA draft.

The 7-foot-3 center from Tanzania said Tuesday that he made the decision after speaking to family, friends and coach Jim Calhoun.

“I have had a great experience at Connecticut and cannot thank my coaches and teammates enough,” Thabeet said in a statement released by the school. “I look forward to the challenge of playing professionally and know that my time here at UConn has prepared me to be successful in the future.”

Calhoun called Thabeet “one of the most dominant defensive players in the history of college basketball,” and said he believes he is ready to make the move to the NBA.

“He is a special player and even more special as a person,” Calhoun said. “He will truly be remembered as one of the great players in UConn history, not only for his accomplishments, but also because of the type of person he is.”

Thabeet, the Big East co-Player of the Year with Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair, averaged 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots per game in helping the Huskies to a 31-5 record and a Final Four berth.

He becomes the 11th player from Connecticut to declare early for the NBA draft. Nine of the others were picked in the first round, and eight of those were lottery selections.

Thabeet had been playing organized basketball for less than five years when he came to Connecticut from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, by way of the Cypress Christian School in Houston.

He considered turning pro after both his freshmen and sophomore seasons.

The school said Thabeet plans to hire an agent, a move that would eliminate the possibility that he could withdraw his name before June 15 and retain his collegiate eligibility.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement
  ProBasketballTalk tweets

  1. Loading the latest posts…

Source: Twitter. For more, follow @basketballtalk.

Video: NBA from NBC Sports
Lin on on 'Linsanity'
Knicks guard Jeremy Lin discusses the hype surrounding his recent rise in New York.

Slideshow
Washington Wizards v Charlotte Bobcats
  Get your cheer on
Check out some of the dancers from the NBA.

more photos

  Ask the NBA expert: Ira Winderman

Do you have a burning NBA question? Submit it now, and then check back for our reader mailbag.

Special feature
Image: LeBron James
Who will be MVP?
Interactive: Rank each player on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 = best player, 0 = barely worthy of consideration).

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Image: Blake Griffin
  NBA All-Star starters
A look at the starting lineups for the East and West teams.

more photos

Slideshow
Image: Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee and head coach Coughlin's grandson plays in the confetti after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis
  The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.

more photos