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NBA draft: Undrafted Daniel Hackett headed for Europe?
June 25th, 2009, 9:38 pm · 6 Comments · posted by Michael Lev, staff writer
POLL: SHOULD USC STOP PURSUING ONE-AND-DONE PLAYERS?
Daniel Hackett shocked former USC coach Tim Floyd, among others, by declaring for the NBA draft and hiring an agent. It wasn’t a huge surprise when Hackett went undrafted Thursday night.
Few mock drafts included Hackett, and, sure enough, the real one didn’t either.
That leaves Hackett with three options:
- Make a team as a free agent.
- Work his way up through the D-league.
- Return to his native Europe to play pro ball there.
The third option seems the most likely, although Hackett told me a few weeks ago that just because he’s from Italy, that doesn’t mean he wants to go back.
“My goal is to play in the NBA,” he said. “I’m sure I won’t be a top-10 pick, but I feel comfortable enough to say I can play at that level.”
Hackett joins Davon Jefferson in the dubious category of early-declaring Trojans who didn’t get drafted.
More from the USC blog:
- NBA draft: Taj Gibson, first-rounder after all
- NBA draft: DeMar DeRozan … the next Amare Stoudemire?
- USC basketball recruiting: Lamont Jones to Arizona
- USC basketball: Kevin O’Neill still has fans in Tucson
- An Oregon Ducks uniform upgrade?
- Poll: Is it wrong to move the Rose Bowl?
- NBA draft: DeMar DeRozan in NYC
- USC basketball: Leonard Washington uncensored
- Garrett says NCAA investigation has USC ‘in limbo’
- USC basketball: Garrett says Floyd ‘was not forced out’
6 Comments
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Hackett and Davon were stupid for leaving early unless Hackett has his heart set on playing in Europe or he wanted to get out before USC bball fell apart, but even if he did is staying on a rebuilding struggling team worse than playing on no team or going to Europe? They couldn’t have waited one more year?
Hackett signed a pro contract in Italy before draft.
http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/54674/180
WTF, Hack? How could you possibly think that another year of college leading the team at PG would NOT help you achieve your NBA dreams? Or, a college degree to fall back on? What are these kids thinking.
Thanks for the update, Franklin. I obviously wasn’t aware of that. Perhaps that was Hackett’s plan all along? It’s the only way it makes any sense, especially the part where he, of all people, signed with an agent.
I’ve met his father Rudy, also a coach at USC. Daniel is quite unique. He was raised in Italy, finished high school early in California, and had to get special permission to graduate a full-year early from HS and enroll at USC at such a young age. Rudy has always stated that Europe is where they teach players to play the game mentally. I’d expect to see Hacket playing in the NBA in the future, if he so desires.
With that being said, I wish he had stuck around and played for us for one more year.
Fight On!
The story from Franklin’s link mentions that Daniel’s father played for nine years in the Italian leagues. I somehow get the feeling that Daniel won’t ever make it to the NBA and it’ll be a case of like father, like son.