Delonte West helped the Hawks reach the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight.

April 29, 2004

By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Saint Joseph's junior guard Delonte West will declare for the NBA draft, though he will not hire an agent.

"I think it's a great thing," coach Phil Martelli told The Associated Press on Thursday.

West is expected to make the announcement at a news conference Friday.

West, an honorable mention AP All-American this season, hopes to attend the NBA's pre-draft camp in Chicago.

Last year, West's teammate Jameer Nelson attended the camp, returned for his senior season and was the AP men's college basketball player of the year.

West has not yet been invited to the camp. He has until June 17 to remove his name from consideration and retain his college eligibility.

West averaged 18.9 points and 5.4 rebounds while helping the Hawks to a 27-0 start. Saint Joseph's finished 30-2, reaching No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in school history and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Hawks lost to Oklahoma State in the regional finals of the tournament.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound West developed into one of the top shooting guards in the Atlantic 10 and teamed with Nelson to form one of the best backcourts in the nation. With his left-handed release, strong free throw shooting and knack for knocking down off-balance shots, West became one of the toughest players to defend in the conference.

West's most impressive performance came against Xavier in January when he went 12-for-12 from the floor, including three 3-pointers, and 6-for-6 from the line for a career-high 33 points.