Rogers Will Make Himself Draft-Eligible

Gonzaga University’s Paul Rogers, figuring he has “nothing to lose,” confirmed Tuesday that he will make himself eligible for this year’s National Basketball Association draft, which will be held June 25 in Charlotte, N.C.

The 7-foot senior center, who missed all but four games this winter because of a broken foot, said his decision to declare for the draft was based on advice from several close friends, including his former coach Dan Fitzgerald.

“I’m not going to lose anything in the way of eligibility by doing it,” said Rogers, a native of Adelaide, Australia, who played a year at North Idaho College before transferring to GU as a sophomore in 1994. “It’s just a good idea, people say, to try it out and see if anything develops.”

This was to have been Rogers’ final year of collegiate eligibility, but he has petitioned the NCAA for a medical hardship waiver that would allow him to play for the Bulldogs again next season. Rogers said that’s what he plans to do if he is not selected in the draft.

And he added he might return to GU even if he is drafted.

“That’s the beauty of it,” he explained. “Even if I am drafted, I have 30 days after the draft to decide if I want to sign with the team that drafted me.”

Rogers, who averaged 15.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a junior, was averaging 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds at the time of his injury this winter. In two seasons at GU, he has shown he can run the floor, catch the ball and finish plays inside.

According to Rogers, he has heard a wide range of opinions - some much more informed than others - on whether or not any NBA team might be interested in his talents.

“Some people tell me there’s no way I’m going to get drafted, and some have told me I probably will,” he said. “I don’t know what (NBA scouts) think, but it’s always been my dream to make it at that level, so it would be hard, if I am drafted, not to go for it.

“At the same time, it would be silly to leave everything I have here if the team that picked me already had a lot of big guys on their bench and wouldn’t guarantee your contract.”

Rogers, who also has the option of returning to Australia to play professionally, admitted he is a draft “long shot,” at best.

But he added he has seen plenty of 7-footers who can’t run the floor or catch the ball as well as he can sitting on the end of NBA benches.

“And I’d be perfectly happy to do that, too,” he added.

, DataTimes