Huskies

C.J. Wilcox underwent surgery Friday on his left foot, which hampered him last season.

The procedure was considered a success, according to a release from Washington. He had his fifth metatarsal stabilized to alleviate the stress fracture in his foot.

Wilcox is expected to return before the 2013-14 season opener.

The 6-5 junior guard considered declaring for the NBA draft, but it’s likely the foot surgery influenced his decision to return to school.

After a 59-57 loss at at UCLA on Feb. 7, Wilcox wore a protective boot after the game and said he had early stages of a stress fracture.

Coach Lorenzo Romar downplayed the seriousness of the injury at the time while acknowledging Wilcox was unable to practice the last two months of the season due to what was described as “preventive measures.”

Wilcox’s production dipped and his consistency wavered after the game at UCLA.

Despite foot problems, he started all 34 games and averaged 34.8 minutes, which ranked seventh in the Pac-12.

He also led Washington in scoring average (16.8 points) and steals (37). He was second with 35 blocks and third with 65 assists.

Wilcox ranked second in the conference with 75 three-pointers and was named second team all-Pac-12.

We’re running a poll in today’s sports section asking readers which in-state NBA product is the most fun to watch?

You have two choices: Nate Robinson, who starred at Washington, or former Washington State standout Klay Thompson.

Ken Bone, who coached both players, said Thursday he’s enjoying watching both of them succeed during the playoffs. Bone arrived at Washington in 2002 shortly before Robinson walked off the football field and onto a basketball court where he became a star. They left UW in 2005.

When Bone took the WSU job the first thing he did was watch every game from the previous season of Thompson. Bone concluded the Cougars were underutilizing the 6-foot-7 freshman.

“I’m not knocking the system at all – a great system under coach Tony Bennett – but Klay was really just a catch-and-shoot guy,” Bone said. “We needed more. We needed him to score a variety of ways.

“I asked the video coordinator to pull up some James Harden stuff because Klay’s got to learn how to drive it and be aggressive like Harden,” Bone said. “So we tried to mix the ability of him being able to shoot it and being able to drive and at times post up. And he really became a great scorer for us obviously.

“And he’s doing that now.”

Thompson started 33 games as a freshman and had just 31 free-throw attempts. He made 28 and averaged 12.5 points. Bone replaced WSU’s half-court oriented offense with an up-tempo scheme built around its mercurial shooting guard.

As a sophomore, Thompson converted 133 of 166 attempts at the line while averaging 19.6 points.

As a junior, he converted 155 of 185 attempts at the line while averaging 21.6 points.

It’s interesting to note, Washington junior C.J. Wilcox is following a similar path. He’s brilliant jump shooter who rarely got to the line early in his career. However, he’s become more of a versatile scorer recently.

As a redshirt freshman Wilcox was 25 of 31 at the line and averaged 8.1 points. As a sophomore he was 78 of 93 and averaged 14.2 points. And last season he 93 of 114 free throw attempts while averaging 16.8 points.

It’s not entirely a fair comparison because WSU built its offense around Thompson, who took 551 shots his final season. Wilcox has the green light, but he was more judicious and attempted 480 shots last season.

Still maybe Wilcox should ask Thompson if he can borrow those videos of Harden. Or better yet, maybe he should tune into the the NBA playoffs and watch Thompson, who is quickly becoming a star.

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar had been 0-3 the past two years on players contemplating leaving school early for the NBA.

Unlike Terence Ross and Tony Wroten Jr. last year and Isaiah Thomas in 2011, junior C.J. Wilcox submitted his name for evaluation by the NBA before choosing to return to school.

Here’s a transcript of most of the interview with Romar who said Wilcox is a potential All-American candidate.

(How much of a surprise was the news if it was a surprise at all?) “I couldn’t say either was a surprise. I think he was really torn. I really do. He was really torn.”

(How much input did you have?) “My approach every year unless I think they’re making a horrible mistake is to gather the information for them, help them with the pros and cons and then let them decide.”

(Does Wilcox staying affect recruiting?) “I think really good players want to play with really good players. If you look around when a team has an addition, I think guys are excited.”

(How much does Wilcox returning elevate the team?) “When you have returners – he’s a second-team all-league choice – you can have just return and have experience, but maybe they’ve not done anything at a high level. Well, C.J. has. C.J. returns as an all-conference performer and anytime you have someone like that who is coachable and team-oriented as C.J. is it’s definitely going to make you better than if you didn’t have them.”

(How is Wilcox’s foot?) “It will eventually be fine. But like Scott Suggs’ foot was, Scott eventually had to have surgery with his. Whether you  have surgery or whether you wait, eventually his foot is going to be fine. He’s still not at a point right now where he can just go 100 percent day in and day out. But that day will come.”

(Do you anticipate him having surgery?) “No.”

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Washington junior C.J. Wilcox, who announced he plans to return to school next season, said he wanted to finish what he started with the Huskies.

Here’s an interview with Wilcox that was released by the school.

(What were some of the main factors that led you to your decision to come back to Washington?) “The main thing is that my dad and I were talking and thinking back to about when I first got here and the vision to redshirt my first year and have that last year to become the best player that I can be and lead the team. We were not expecting the NBA to come into the picture so fast. That kind of got off track and we lost track of the vision. We started to seriously considering it and meeting with agents, but at the end of the day we went back and wanted to finish what we started and come back for my fifth year and lead the team.”

(What did the NBA evaluation report tell you and where did it tell you that you would be drafted?) “Most of the projections were late first round to mid second round. Most of it was all jumbled up in there. We got feedback from 20 teams, so it wasn’t the whole 30. Basically it was stuff that everyone already knew. So it wasn’t a shock when we got it back. I met with agents to see what they were hearing, and stuff like that. I mean, it wasn’t much of a shock, but I was just trying to get as much information as possible.”

(What kind of input did Lorenzo Romar give you?) “He was really helpful. He was trying to do what was best for me. He was supporting whatever decision I made. He was great during the whole process. He was talking about both what would happen if I came back and if I left for the league. He gave me both sides of everything. He was really helpful through the whole process.”

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A picture says a thousands words.

Washington junior C.J. Wilcox posted this photo on Instagram this morning announcing he’s returning to school for his senior season.

The 6-5 and 185-pound shooting guard had been weighing a decision to leave school early and declare for the NBA draft.

An evaluation of his draft potential from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, which consists of general managers and player personnel executives, projected he would be a picked in the second round.

Here’s a sampling of mock drafts also had him being taken in the second round: CBSsports.com (39 – Washington), Draft Express (45 – Milwaukee), Hoops World (41st – Philadelphia).

Wilcox’s return is a major coup for Washington, which lost three senior starters who were among the team’s top four scorers.

Despite a foot injury late in the season, Wilcox averaged 16.8 points, which was sixth best in the Pac-12 last season.  He led Washington in points, minutes (34.8 per game) and steals (37). He was second with 35 blocks and third with 65 assists.

Wilcox ranked second in the conference with 75 three-pointers and was named second team all-Pac-12.

Losing Wilcox would have been a major blow to Washington, which finished 18-16 and was sixth in the Pac-12 last season.

However, he’s a legitimate conference MVP candidate and his return makes the Huskies a contender for the league title.

Washington adds senior forward Perris Blackwell, who sat out last season due to transfer rules, to the mix. The Huskies also picked up a recruiting class that’s ranked 29th nationally by ESPN.com and features McDonald’s All-American guard Nigel Williams-Goss.

The timing of Wilcox’s decision is curious. The NBA deadline for underclassmen to apply for early entry to the draft is April 28 and it was believed Wilcox would wait until the last minute before announcing his decision.

There’s an opinion Wilcox’s decision to return to UW could help the Huskies recruit junior Mike Moser, who will reportedly leave UNLV. It’s believed he’s visiting Oregon and Washington this weekend. With Wilcox in the fold, the Huskies can make a stronger pitch to Moser, a 6-8 forward who averaged 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists last season.

Oregon and Washington are likely destinations for Moser. His hometown is Portland and UW was his second choice when he came out of high school. He picked UCLA and played one season for the Bruins. Transfer rules prohibited him from going to UW when he left in 2010.

As a sophomore, Moser averaged 14 points and 10.5 rebounds at UNLV.

Here’s a sampling of what folks are saying about Washington junior C.J. Wilcox, who is considering leaving school early to enter the NBA draft.

WASHINGTON COACH LORENZO ROMAR:

(On Wilcox) “I think he’s torn. He thinks he’s an NBA basketball player. It’s just a matter of being able to come in through the front door with as much security as you can get.

(On Wilcox taking his time) “This is a huge decision. You just want to make sure if you go or if you come back you know exactly why you’re doing either one. You want to go through, let the information marinate. Go over again. Talk through it so that you  know you’ve made the best decision possible with the information that you have. I just think they want to be sure.

(On talk about Wilcox being a second-round pick) “I don’t think very many come out of college saying I know I’m going to be a second-round pick and that’s OK. I think all of them come out saying well that’s what they think, but they don’t really understand how good I am. I’m going to show them in these workouts. I’m going to work my way into the first round or into the lottery. A lot of times that doesn’t happen, but there are exceptions.”

EASTERN CONFERENCE FRONT-OFFICE EXECUTIVE:

(On the upside for Wilcox if he returns to school) “He has one thing that he can do. He can stroke it. He can go back to school and work on his game. The things that are missing from his game right now is handling the ball. Finishing at the rim. Making his team better and losing that label of just being a shooter. I don’t think he can become a better athlete, but he can show people at the next level that he can use his athleticism in more ways than shooting. There’s something to be said for being a better leader.”

(On Wilcox’s relative lack of production at Washington) “When you dive into it, what did C.J. really do in three years at Washington? He played with two other first-round picks (Tony) Wroten and (Terrence) Ross and they didn’t win any games. When you really look at it, they didn’t win any games. You going to say that’s on Coach Romar? I don’t know. That’s a lot of talent. You’re talking about three potential first-round picks.”

(On other underclassmen at the shooting guard position) “Victor Oladepo, Shabazz Muhammad, Archie Goodwin, Jamaal Franklin, Allen Crabbe and Russ Smith. Tim Hardaway is a junior and he might come out. Is he better than C.J.? He might be. He may not be as good a shooter, but you saw that dunk in the (national title game). That shows athleticism. Brandon Paul from Illinois. He’s a senior, but he’s in the mix. Tony Snell from New Mexico. That kid has got unbelievable ball skills. These are all the guys when we sit down and put it up on the board, these are the guys C.J. is going against. It’s not a great class, but guys who in a couple of years might be pretty doggone good.”

EASTERN CONFERENCE SCOUT:

(On Wilcox’s scouting report) “Over the course of the year, C.J.’s stock dropped quite a bit. People that I’ve talked to that weren’t really paying attention to him started to label him more of a streaky shooter than a good shooter. He’s not physical. People have given him credit for his length and athleticism. Still they don’t want to go quite as far as saying he’s soft, but that’s the impression that he leaves with a lot of people. And he’s still not able to get his own shot. When you look around at the draft at the guys that play the same position, there’s quite a few guys that are better than C.J.”

(On the benefits of Wilcox returning to school) “It would give him another year to work on his body. He really needs to work on his body. With that he’s going to be more comfortable with the physical play. He’s going to be more comfortable attacking the basket. He’s going to get to the free throw line. And it’s going to put him in a position to be more of a versatile scorer than a guy who can just catch and shoot. If he can develop a game off the dribble where he can create a shot for himself or other guys, then you got people seeing him in a whole different light.”

(On benefits of declaring for the draft) “I don’t know what his team will look like next year. Is Mike Moser going to Washington? Because if the does that could change things. … Right now, I don’t see (Wilcox) getting drafted, but it only takes one guy. If one team likes you, that’s all it takes. We saw that happen with a couple of Pac-12 kids last year. Look at Wroten and Jared Cunningham.”

DRAFT EXPRESS PRESIDENT JONATHAN GIVONY:

(On the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee report) “It’s reliable in the sense in it’s the right people that you’re talking to. It’s good information, but it’s not binding by any means and it’s conservative. It’s very preliminary. But it’s the best information that he can get right now. I was told Jared Cunningham last year they told him second round and late second round. He went in the first round. But I’m sure there’s other guys that were the opposite. You can’t predict two months in advance what’s going to happen. There’s too many variables.”

Washington junior guard C.J. Wilcox isn’t ready to decide whether he’ll continue his college career or declare for the NBA draft.

The NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline is Tuesday and those close to Wilcox say he’s telling the NCAA he’ll return to the Huskies to preserve his collegiate eligibility.

The move gives him 12 more days to make a decision before the NBA’s April 28 deadline when underclassmen must apply for early entry for the draft.

If it sounds like a convoluted plan, then blame the NCAA and NBA which has been unable to agree for years on a system in which college players can transition into pros. The NCAA deadline is silly and benefits no one except college coaches who want some clarity about their rosters before the start of regular signing period on April 17. However, without the help of the NBA, the NCAA’s deadline has no teeth.

Here’s a look at some important dates for underclassmen considering the draft.

April 16: NCAA Early Entry “Withdrawal” Deadline
April 28: NBA Draft Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 pm ET)
May 2: NBA Draft Early Entry Candidates Released – Underclassmen Contact Permitted
May 15-19: NBA Draft Combine (Chicago)
May 21: NBA Draft Lottery
June 17: NBA Draft Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline (5:00 pm ET)
June 27: 2013 NBA Draft

Here’s an excellent explanation of the NCAA’s idiotic evaluation system from Jonathan Givony, president of DraftExpress.com.

Here’s where Wilcox lands in the various mock drafts. CBSsports.com (39 – Washington), Draft Express (45 – Milwaukee), Hoops World (41st – Philadelphia) and NBAdraft.net (34 – Cleveland) in 2014.

Chad Ford at ESPN ranks Wilcox 64th among the top 100 NBA prospects. Aran Smith at NBAdraft.net doesn’t include Wilcox among his top 100 NBA prospects. However, he lists Aziz N’Diaye at No. 95.

Draft Express also has a comprehensive list of the underclassmen declaring for the draft.

At this point, California junior Allen Crabbe is the only Pac-12 underclassman who has announced he’s leaving school. Many believe UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad will also declare for the draft.

Colorado junior Andre Roberson and Arizona freshman Grant Jarrett appear as if they’ll also wait until the NBA’s April 28 deadline before making a decision.

Those who have announced they’re returning to school include: UCLA’s Kyle Anderson, Arizona State’s Jahii Carson, Oregon State’s Eric Moreland and Stanford’s Dwight Powell.

After the season Wilcox had his left foot re-examined and doctors discovered no structural damage. Since February he’s been unable to practice due to soreness,  which helps explain why his play tailed off late in the season. Even still Wilcox averaged 16.8 points, which ranked sixth in the Pac-12.

He led Washington in points, minutes (34.8 per game) and steals (37). He was second with 35 blocks and third with 65 assists. His 75 three-pointers were the second most in the Pac-12. Wilcox was named second team all-conference.

AROUND THE PAC-12:

— Nice profile in the Los Angeles Times about new USC coach Andy Enfield.

— Oregon State coach Craig Robinson told the Oregonian: “At some point (Eric Moreland) probably will be a first-round pick.” But that won’t happen this year because the Beavers sophomore forward is returning to school next season.

— In case you missed it, there were more coaching changes on Arizona State’s staff. However, unlike last year when assistants left for similar jobs at similar schools, associate head coach Dedrique Taylor left to become head coach at Cal State Fullerton. The Sun Devils replaced him with Stan Johnson, who had been an assistant the past two seasons at Drake.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) selected Washington junior guard C.J. Wilcox on its 2012-13 Division I All-District 20 second team. Here’s the release.

The NABC selected a six-man first and second teams for each of its 24 districts from 242 eligible players.

Wilcox led Washington with a 16.8 scoring average. He was also first on the team in seatls (37), second in blocks (35) and third in rebounding average (4.3) and assist average (1.9). He finished with 75 three-pointers, which is the fourth most in school history.

He was also a second-team all-Pac-12 choice.

Here’s a look at the NABC District 20 teams.

FIRST TEAM

Allen Crabbe, California
Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
Jahii Carson, Arizona State
Solomon Hill, Arizona
Mark Lyons, Arizona

SECOND TEAM

Dwight Powell, Stanford
Spencer Dinwiddie, Colorado
E.J. Singler, Oregon
Carrick Felix, Arizona State
Brock Motum, Washington State
C.J. Wilcox, Washington

Managed to catch up with junior guard C.J. Wilcox before he boarded the bus taking Washington to Sea-Tac airport for Tuesday’s game at BYU in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament.

For Wilcox the game is a chance to return home. He grew up in nearby Pleasant Grove, UT. He’ll also face many childhood friends, including Cougars leading scorer Tyler Haws, who averages 20.9 points.

BYU sophomore guard Tyler Haws talked about playing in the National Invitation Tournament and reuniting with childhood friend C.J. Wilcox when the Cougars play Washington 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the first round at the Marriott Center.

Here’s most of the transcript.

(How are you feeling?) “We’re feeling pretty good. We were excited to see our name and we’re just excited to play another game. It’s going to be a fun environment tomorrow and we’re looking forward to it.”

(How are you health wise?) “I’m feeling great. A week off with no games really helps a lot. My body feels good and I’m sure our whole team is feeling a lot healthier this week.’

(On the last game) “I felt a little bit out of it at the beginning. I finally found my rhythm in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. We didn’t get it done. But I’m feeling good and I’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

(On lack of games lately and if long break will help) “For sure. We’ve had a good week of practice. A good week of preparation. Washington is a great team and I’m excited to play them.”

(How much did you practice last week?) “We practiced almost every day. A few days we had some individual workouts. Got lots of shots up. We had a good week of practice.”

(C.J. reach out to you yet?) “I haven’t talked to C.J. yet. I haven’t seen him in probably four years. I talked to him a little bit when I get home from my mission. So we kept in touch that way and I followed him this season. It will be a fun, fun rematch for sure.’

(Think you’d play him in college?) “I didn’t think so. I thought there might be a chance in this tournament. And it happened to be that way.”

(Was Sunday a tough day?) “We are disappointed we’re not in the big tournament, but you take what you can get and you just want to keep playing basketball as long as you can. This is a great tournament with lots of good teams. And we’re looking to get a few wins.

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