UCLA basketball: Tyler Honeycutt says he will hire an agent, enter NBA draft
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UCLA sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt said during a teleconference with reporters Monday that he would hire an agent and declare for the NBA draft.
He was hiring an agent, he said, to remove any uncertainty about his status so that he could focus on preparing for basketball at the next level.
"You have to stay enrolled in classes and things like that, and I just want to be focused on being able to have the consistent schedule with what I was going to do every day as far as nutrition and basketball and weights," Honeycutt said. "Classes would interfere with some of that."
"I'm 100% sure this is what I want to do, going all out for it."
UCLA Coach Ben Howland wished Honeycutt well and said he was "pretty confident" Honeycutt would be drafted in the first round. One mock draft has Honeycutt listed as the 20th overall pick in the first round.
"The real thing for Tyler is he feels it's best for him, it's what he wants to do and we're 100% supportive," Howland said.
Honeycutt also cited what is generally regarded as a weak NBA draft as a reason to come out and said he wasn't scared off by a potential lockout. But there was at least one reason to return, he acknowledged.
"The biggest X factor, the thing that would keep me from going to the draft, was my teammates and how good we might be," Honeycutt said. "We could be a great team, but I feel what's best for me is to leave this year."
Honeycutt was the Bruins' third-leading scorer this season, averaging 12.8 points.
Still uncertain are the futures of UCLA junior guard Malcolm Lee and sophomore forward Reeves Nelson.
We'll have more later at www.latimes.com/sports.
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--Ben Bolch
Photo: UCLA forward Tyler Honeycutt looks to pass against Arizona State's Kyle Cain, center, and Carrick Felix in the first half of a game at Pauley Pavillion earlier this season. Credit: Christina House / For The Times
