Rice's Morris Almond Declares for NBA Draft
April 17, 2006 Rice basketball and Conference USA leading scorer, Morris Almond, a likely All-America selection for 2007, has announced during a Monday press conference that he will enter his name as an early entrant for the June 28 NBA Draft and will not sign with an agent. "My intentions today are to announce my plans to enter the upcoming 2006 NBA Draft," said Almond (Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern H.S.). "Having just completed my junior season, I feel the time is right for me to explore my options and take this next step towards my goal of playing in the NBA. I have discussed this thoroughly with both my parents and Coach (Willis) Wilson, and they fully support my decision. Throughout this endeavor I intend to fully retain my eligibility by not hiring an agent and by following all guidelines laid out by the NCAA regarding this process. Lastly, I would like to thank my teammates, my coaches, Rice University and my parents for all that they have done to help make this day possible." Rice head coach Willis Wilson is certainly approving of this decision by Almond. "Every kid growing up wants to play in the NBA and very few have the oppportunity that's in front of Morris, where he is on-track to get his degree and he's made himself into a fantastic basketball player," said Wilson. "This also sends a message to all of the youngsters in this community and around the country that when you come to Rice you really do have the opportunity for the best of both worlds, and that's a big-time degree and the chance to be a major league player at a major league level." This past season, Almond, a 6' 6" junior guard, led the Owls and Conference USA in scoring at 21.9 points per game. In 14 Conference USA games, Almond set a league record by averaging 25.1 points per contest and he also shared team rebounding honors with J.R. Harrison by averaging 5.8 rebounds a game (10th-best in C-USA). For his exploits, Almond was named to the All-Conference USA first team in addition to being selected to all-region teams by the NABC and the USBWA. Key NBA Draft Dates
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