Brumbaugh withdraws name from Draft

[FreaKnight]

From what I have heard, UF is 100% out.  The quote from him is that he is going to a school that is , "somewhere under the radar".  Orlando local news reported Nebraska as the likely candidate.

[bulls96go]

From what I have heard, UF is 100% out.  The quote from him is that he is going to a school that is , "somewhere under the radar".  Orlando local news reported Nebraska as the likely candidate.

ucf? say it ain't so!

[LakeBull]

You just never know until they sign that letter.   The Big East, with big time exposure, is a pretty big draw and he could be fairly confident of not riding the pine at USF.     If he really feels he is NBA material the Big East offers super exposure.

Coach Mac has pulled a few rabbits out of the hat already.   We have a shot.

Move over little dogs the big ol' dog is movin' in.

[RHBullsFan]

Velcro, did you pull that "Billy Donovan" guest post that was on here earlier? Pretty funny stuff...

[Velcro]

I didn't pull the first one, but I did the 2nd one.

[Brad]

Brumbaugh leaning toward Nebraska

By BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN

Staff Writer

Last update: June 23, 2005

DAYTONA BEACH -- Keith Brumbaugh's NBA dreams are now on hold.

The former DeLand basketball player -- Mr. Basketball in Florida this year -- backed out of the NBA draft before Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline, and will now concentrate on selecting a college to attend. Since he never signed with an agent, he is able to maintain his amateur status.

"He withdrew on Monday; he sent off the fax to the NBA," DeLand coach John Zeoli said Wednesday. "Right now, there are four schools interested in him that I know of. And I think he might be leaning toward Nebraska. They just came onto the scene recently. I think in the next couple of weeks, he'll have a decision."

At a May 20 press conference, Brumbaugh had said that if he wasn't projected to be picked in the first round, he would withdraw and pick from South Florida, Southern Cal, Oklahoma State and Florida. Zeoli said Brumbaugh recently added Nebraska to the list. The star player graduated from DeLand High School last month, finishing up his final core class through an online program, while receiving a more-than-adequate score of 24 on his ACT tests -- making him a qualifier for college basketball.

He had planned to use the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago in early June to see where he stood with the draft. But an invitation to the pre-draft camp never came from the league, effectively ending his chances of being drafted this year. On Saturday, Brumbaugh returned to DeLand from Houston -- where he has been working out with former NBA coach John Lucas.

Zeoli said that in recent days, Brumbaugh has dropped by the high school to play in pickup games, and the DeLand coach has been amazed at how much more explosive his former player has become after extensive workouts the past few months.

"Probably maturing in the knowledge of the higher steps of basketball," said Brumbaugh on May 20, when asked what he's learned throughout the process. "There's certain things that you can do in high school basketball that you can't do up there (in the workouts, against potential draft picks). The ball is not directly coming to you all the time, and you're not always the best player up there. You've got to learn to make an impact on the court in different ways than just scoring."

Of course, he is still eligible for the draft in the future, and one gets the feeling this isn't the last we've heard from Brumbaugh -- who can improve his draft status dramatically while playing at the Division I-A level. The weight training, diet, experience and competition at the college level will make him that much more draftable. As much as Brumbaugh wanted to play in the NBA starting this year, one wouldn't be surprised to see him enter the draft again next spring.

Former Mainland player and current NBA star Vince Carter, who has been in town conducting a basketball camp for local youth, chimed in Monday about Brumbaugh.

"I heard he's pretty good," Carter said of the only Mr. Basketball recipient in Volusia County history other than himself. "But what kids have to understand is that when you play basketball, and you're a star in your county and maybe in your state, that doesn't mean you're the best around the world. A lot of kids get a rude awakening from that."

brian.mclaughlin@news-jrnl.com

Ken Hornack contributed to this report.

BRUMBAUGH'S COLLEGE POSSIBILITIES

Florida

Strengths: Getting to play in-state, and play for a perennial NCAA Tournament team. . . . Getting to play in a run-and-gun system to display his individual skills.

Weaknesses: Not many.

The skinny: The Gators had two underclassmen, Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson, declare for the NBA Draft -- leaving holes to fill. Brumbaugh, Florida's Mr. Basketball, would be a gem if the Gators have the space available.

Nebraska

Strengths: Because of a lack of tradition within the Cornhuskers basketball program, Brumbaugh could be an instant star at Nebraska -- enhancing his chance to be a draft pick next spring . . . Like Oklahoma State, he'd have a chance to play in one of the top conferences in the nation.

Weaknesses: Distance from home. . . . Team may not make it to the NCAA Tournament,

which is a big showcase for future professional talent.

The skinny: The Cornhuskers are a recent addition to Brumbaugh's list. According to DeLand coach John Zeoli, they are one of Brumbaugh's favorites.

Oklahoma State

Strengths: An established competitor within the Big 12 conference . . . John Lucas, the former NBA coach who has trained Brumbaugh the past two months, had a son, John Lucas, Jr., playing for the school in recent years.

Weaknesses: Distance from home . . . Might have to "wait his turn" more than at other schools.

The skinny: If Brumbaugh played for the Cowboys, he'd get a chance to work with one of the top coaches in the college game in Eddie Sutton -- and he'd get to play against high-profile coaches such as Texas Tech's Bobby Knight and top programs like Kansas.

Southern Cal

Strengths: The tradition at Southern Cal is one of the best in college athletics.

Weaknesses: Really, really far from home.

The skinny: Brumbaugh has all but eliminated the Trojans from contention, according to Zeoli. They had emerged as a possibility in recent months, and Brumbaugh mentioned them at a May 20 press conference.

South Florida

Strengths: Getting to play in-state . . . Like Nebraska, Brumbaugh would be the big guy on campus, almost instantly, allowing him to showcase his talent and make him a possible draft pick as early as next year.

Weaknesses: Not as much national exposure as the other schools on his list.

The skinny: The Bulls are also a recent addition to Brumbaugh's list. The DeLand native has said for months that he'd like to stay in-state if he goes to college.

-- Brian McLaughlin

Story Link

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What does he mean by recent?  It seems like an eternity to me...

[smazza]

how does nebraska do it?

to lose a top star to nebraska is sad

age  restrictions playing professional sports!talk about regressing

[Omniscientbull]

Actually, Nebraska has been in on a number of top rated recruits the past 2 years, some of which had both USF and Nebraska on thier list.

[Guest BasketBull.]

Why anyone from the state of Florida would want to go to school in Nebraska or Oklahoma is beyond me.

You burn in the summer, and in the winter you freeze your behind off. In between, you've got nothing to do but drive and drive to get anywhere... and if you go back to Florida for a visit, you've got to fly = $$$.

We will be fine with or without Keith.

GO BULLS!

[RHBullsFan]

Not much national exposure?? Does the author realize we are now in the Big East? Why would he point out the Big XII strength in the Nebraska positives but not the Big East affiliation in ours? Nice pro Florida slant.....how about pointing out that both UF undergrads play guard and Keith is a SF so their departure does not affect him nearly as much.