Clemson forward Mays declares for NBA draft

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Clemson junior forward James Mays declared for the NBA draft on Wednesday but will not hire an agent.

"I feel this is an opportunity for me to explore my options,'' Mays said. "This will give me a chance to evaluate where I stand as a player."

Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said he has no qualms either with Mays testing the process or attending the three-day Orlando pre-draft camp that begins May 29. Mays will have until June 18 to decide whether to withdraw his name from the draft.

Mays averaged 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds in 36 games for the Tigers. The 6-foot-9 Mays is a key part of the Tigers' chances to reach the NCAA tournament in 2008. The Tigers return four of their top five players, with the lone senior being guard Vernon Hamilton.

Mays played in only 11 games as a sophomore, the result of being declared academically ineligible. The Tigers won those 11 games and then the first 17 of the 2006-07 season.

Mays is not expected to be a first-round pick in the June draft, so he would likely return to Clemson unless he somehow played his way higher during the Orlando workouts.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Andy Katz | email

Senior Writer, ESPN.com

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• Senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com
• 22 years covering college basketball, including on TV
• Former president of U.S. Basketball Writers Association