May 5, 2005

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Tech point guard Jarrett Jack entered his name in the NBA draft Thursday, but he won't hire an agent and is still torn about whether to return for his senior season with the Yellow Jackets.

Jack's decision will allow him to work out for NBA teams, giving himself a better idea of where he would be picked in the June 28 draft. Most prognosticators believe he will go in the latter half of the first round.

Jack said it's "50-50" on whether he will enter the pros or play another year at Georgia Tech. He could graduate next spring if he returns to school, and he's promised his mother that he will get his degree no matter what.

"I'm surprised that he's as torn as he is," coach Paul Hewitt said. "I thought it was a foregone conclusion" he would go to the NBA.

The 6-foot-3 Jack was the top scorer (15.5 points a game) on a team that reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. As a sophomore, he starred in Georgia Tech's improbable run to the national championship game.

Jack has spent countless hours working on his shot, which showed last year when he led the Yellow Jackets in 3-point shooting (44 percent). He's a strong, physical player who can muscle up defensively or help out on the boards. But there are questions about his quickness.

Also, there's a glut of point guards in the draft, including fellow Atlantic Coast Conference players Raymond Felton of North Carolina and Chris Paul of Wake Forest. That could push Jack lower in the draft.

"I'm not leaning one way or the other," he said. "It's something I've thought long and hard about. When I make my decision, I want it to be 100 percent."