Collison chooses to stay

LOS ANGELES – When Darren Collison was hearing he might be the No. 9 pick in the NBA draft, and as his father Dennis and mother June were hearing from NBA scouts and general managers that Collison almost certainly would be from a No. 15 pick to a No. 22 pick, Collison said he thought his decision was made.

“Up until last week,” Collison said, “I was ready to declare. I was totally confident of where my position was. It just happened this week after I really put more thought into it that I was 100 percent sure. I’m coming back.”

After three of UCLA’s starters from this year’s team announced they would be making themselves eligible for the NBA draft, Collison, a junior point guard and third-team All-American, said Saturday that he would return for his senior season at UCLA.

Collison, who averaged 14.5 points and shot 52.5 percent from 3-point range, said he felt he could become better prepared for the professional grind by returning to school.

“I want to give myself the best possible chance to succeed at the next level,” Collison said. “I have unfinished business at UCLA. I want to complete my education, and when I do enter the draft I don’t want to be just another prospect.”

Collison, 6-foot-1 and 167 pounds, said his decision to wait another year did not have anything to do with the number of highly regarded underclassman guards who have already declared for the draft.

Among those considered true point guards are freshmen Derrick Rose of Memphis, Eric Gordon of Indiana and Jerryd Bayless of Arizona, plus sophomores D.J. Augustin of Texas and Ty Lawson of North Carolina and junior Mario Chalmers of Kansas. Also, two local guards who played point guard and shooting guard this season – UCLA sophomore Russell Westbrook and USC freshman O.J. Mayo – have declared, and all are considered possible first-round picks.

“This is my decision,” Collison said. “It’s my personal circumstances. It had nothing to do with anybody else’s circumstances,” he said.

Bruins freshman center Kevin Love, Westbrook and junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have declared for the draft while not immediately hiring agents. The deadline for underclassmen to enter the draft is by the end of today. UCLA Coach Ben Howland said junior swingman Josh Shipp, is still considering his options.

Underclassmen who have declared early have until June 16 to change their mind and return to school if they don’t hire an agent.