March 16, 2004

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's top recruit said Tuesday there was a 50 percent chance he would skip college and go straight to the NBA next season.

Josh Smith, a 6-foot-8, 214-pound senior at Virginia's Oak Hill Academy, is regarded as one of the nation's top high school players. He signed a national letter-of-intent with Indiana in November and was the biggest prize in what some analysts consider the nation's best recruiting class.

But the lure of being an NBA lottery pick, earning millions of dollars and collecting additional money from endorsements may be too hard to pass up.

"I'm not sure yet," Josh Smith told The Associated Press. "I'd say that it's 50-50 right now."

Smith said he would wait to make a decision until after he finished playing in some high school all-star games, then intended to discuss the situation with his family and Indiana coach Mike Davis.

He might not have that much time.

NCAA rules prohibit players from competing in more than two all-star games after completing their final high school season. If a player participates in more than two games, they risk losing a year of college eligibility. NCAA spokesman Jeff Howard said penalties were assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Smith already is listed on three all-star game rosters - the McDonald's All-Star Game on March 31 in Oklahoma City, the Jordan Capital Classic on April 17 at the University of Maryland and the Roundball Classic on March 24 in Chicago.

His coach, Steve Smith, said the player's decision could be apparent by next week if there is no announcement.

"He keeps telling everybody it's 50-50, but I think he'll be hard-pressed to lean toward college over the NBA," said Steve Smith, no relation to the player.

Smith's skills are tough to ignore.

This past season, he led Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., to a 38-0 record while averaging 23 points, eight rebounds, seven steals, seven assists and five blocks.

According to Steve Smith's player evaluations, Josh Smith finished with a better ranking than either Jerry Stackhouse or Carmelo Anthony, who also played for Smith at Oak Hill.

"There's not any scout I've talked to who doesn't think he's a lottery pick or that he's coming out," Steve Smith said. "They're all saying he's top five, a high lottery pick. Seventh or eighth is the worst I've heard and most are saying he'll go between three and five."

Josh Smith said he's spoken with Davis several times - usually not about basketball - and that he's intrigued about providing the inside presence Indiana lacked this year.

The Hoosiers, just two seasons since reaching the NCAA championship game, finished 14-15 for their first losing season since 1969-70 and will not play in the postseason for the first time since 1976-77.

"I could probably get more mature," Josh Smith said. "Mentally, it's there and I worked on the physical part this year."