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WFU's Teague Headed to NBA
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Published: June 15, 2009
Updated: 06/15/2009 07:04 pm
Winston-Salem - In the end, the number of friends already playing in the NBA didn't influence Jeff Teague as much as one who is not.
Teague, Wake Forest's sophomore guard, told Coach Dino Gaudio by phone yesterday afternoon he would leave his name in the NBA draft, effectively ending his career with the Deacons. The call came only a couple of hours before the 5 p.m. deadline of withdrawing from the draft.
"He is, he is staying in the draft," Gaudio said. "I am really happy for Jeff Teague and his family. It's the young man's dream to play in the NBA. I'm happy that we were able to help him fulfill that dream and I wish him and his family the very best."
Teague, who averaged 18.8 points and made second-team All-ACC, said he consulted with a number of friends from his hometown of Indianapolis — a talent-rich area that just in the last couple of seasons has produced Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers, Mike Conley, Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, Eric Gordon of the Chicago Bulls, Courtney Lee of the Orlando Magic and George Hill of the San Antonio Spurs.
But it was another player from Indianapolis named Chris Thomas who swayed Teague's decision. Like Teague, Thomas played at Pike High School. Like Teague, he considered leaving college for the NBA draft after his ballyhooed sophomore season at Notre Dame.
Unlike Oden, Conley, Gordon, Lee and Hill, he is not in the NBA. After playing through knee injuries as a junior and senior at Notre Dame, he was never drafted. He plays today with CB Murcia, a professional team in Spain.
"The whole process was tough," Teague said. "There was a possibility if I went back I could probably be even higher in the draft, and have a great year. But then there was that possibility of being injured and not having a great season or anything like that.
"A lot of my friends that didn't make it to the NBA, that are here, they were giving me advice. They made the same decisions I had to make. And one of them was Chris Thomas, who went to Notre Dame.
"After his sophomore season he had the opportunity to go. He was one of the top players in the country and everybody was telling him the same thing that `If you come back you could be the No. 1 point guard.' He got injured, and he never got drafted.
"Me and him talked and he was like 'You've got your opportunity. Go ahead and take it.' "
Teague said the strained medial-collateral ligament he sustained during a workout with the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 3 opened his eyes to the possible risk of returning to college. He said he has recovered fully, and is expected by most analysts to be selected in the first round on June 25.
"Having this injury during the process, and recovering from it, I was thinking 'Man if I went back to school there is a chance I could have a more severe injury or something like that,' " Teague said. "I was just like 'I have the opportunity. I have recovered. Maybe I should take my chance now.' "
Teague is the second All-ACC player to pursue his NBA career after his sophomore season at Wake Forest. Forward James Johnson made himself available for the draft several weeks after the Deacons' loss to Cleveland State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and soon afterward precluded his return to college by hiring an agent.
Teague, who was assisted throughout the process by Gaudio and his father Shawn Teague, kept his options open by not hiring an agent. But Shawn Teague said yesterday the family is leaning toward Mike Conley, Sr., who represents his son, Conley, Oden and Daequan Cook of the Miami Heat.
Gaudio said the Deacons will miss Teague, but he remained optimistic about next season. Among the players returning from last year's 24-7 team are forwards Al-Farouq Aminu and L.D. Williams, guard Ish Smith and centers Chas McFarland and David Weaver.
Aminu, considered a strong NBA prospect, will be a sophomore and Williams, Smith, McFarland and Weaver will be seniors.
"I'm in love with our basketball team next year," Gaudio said. "I think we have four seniors who have all played a lot of basketball. I think they're going to be terrific leaders for us, and I think we can have a terrific season next season."
Shawn Teague said his son intends to complete his college degree, regardless of how his professional career turns out. He said that both he and his son realize there are no ironclad assurances Jeff will be drafted in the first round.
Players drafted in the first round are guaranteed a contract. Player drafted in the second are not.
"We're definitely hoping," Shawn Teague said. "We know how things bounce around and up and down.
"But he in the end had to make that decision. All we wanted to do was stretch it out until its entirety, all the way to the 15th, and let him get a feel from every angle and in the end, let Jeff make that decision."
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