The Michigan State Spartans' star guard Gary Harris is going to declare for the NBA Draft "barring a surprising change of plans."
Unnamed sources have told CBS Sports' Gary Parrish that Harris has all but officially declared for the NBA Draft in June. Another report has stated that his coach, Tom Izzo, may have already encouraged Harris to do so.
"I have my own thoughts on what I think will happen," Izzo told MLive.com. "As I met with him yesterday; I talked with his dad today about checking in to where his (NBA) status is. What I gather is that his status is still very, very high.
"When it's that high, my advice over the years has been, when you're ready mentally, you should go."
Harris would be part of a deep NBA Draft class, which already includes freshman sensations Andrew Wiggins and Tyler Ennis. Other freshmen who could join the draft include Julius Randle and Jabari Parker. Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State's sophomore guard, is also expected to declare for the draft.
ESPN draft expert Chad Ford predicted Harris would be selected 11th overall and the just the second shooting guard taken (if you consider Wiggins and shooting guard).
"He's going to go," one source told Parrish of Harris' draft plans. "And he probably should."
In his sophomore season, Harris led the Spartans with 16.7 points per game with a .429 field goal shooting average and a .352 three-point average. He led the team to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Shabazz Napier and the UConn Huskies.
Harris was voted the Spartans' MVP and Izzo said his star guard was probably struggling with the decision of going pro or staying in college.
"Here's a kid who is a good student, likes college," Izzo told MLive.com. "Gary will probably make a decision in the next couple weeks. I'm going to try to talk to a lot of people at the Final Four and I'll talk to my friends in the league and I'm telling his dad to do the same thing."
