Devon Downey
USC juniors Devon Downey and Dominique Archie are still weighing their options on the upcoming NBA draft. They have until June 15th to withdraw their name and return to school for their senior season. Basketball writer Andy Katz has an interesting take on how Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn is handling this.
The current system does make it tough for Horn and other college basketball coaches that aren’t sure whether they will have the services of their star players next season. The bottom line for Horn is that if Downey and Archie don’t return, he is in for a potentially very long season. If they come back, USC has a chance to compete again in the conference. As it stands now he has no idea which of those scenarios will play out.
There hasn’t been a lot of interest from NBA teams on either Downey or Archie. But that doesn’t mean that it is a lock that both will return to school. Keep in mind that teams in Europe are offering lucrative contracts to players these days. Some guys are even leaving the NBA for some of the big dollars being offered overseas. Florida point guard Nick Calathes just signed a big contract with a team out of Greece. There has been some talk that Downey and Archie may at least consider what some European teams are willing to offer.
