<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">BERKELEY ? As expected, Cal sophomore Leon Powe announced his decision Wednesday to enter the NBA draft but will leave himself the option of returning to school. Powe, who led the Pac-10 Conference in scoring and rebounding this season, said he will not hire an agent, allowing him to possibly withdraw by the June 18 deadline. "My family and I thought this was the best decision right now, to make myself eligible for the draft without hiring an agent," Powe said in a statement. "I want to leave all my options open." The former Oakland Tech High star cannot do workouts for NBA scouts until he is finished with final exams at Cal in mid-May. But NCAA rules do allow him to participate in the June 6-12 NBA-sponsored camp in Orlando. That will give scouts a chance to gauge his talents against other prospects, and Powe the opportunity to get their feedback on where he might be selected in the June28 draft. First-round NBA selections earn three-year guaranteed contracts, but second-round picks have no such luxury. Powe has said in the past he likely would only make himself available for the draft if he was certain to be a first-round pick. Most recent projections have Powe going late in the first round or early in the second, so his draft future is hardly clear. An overriding concern of NBA people has been Powe's health. He underwent major reconstructive surgery on his left knee both after his junior year of high school and his freshman season at Cal. But after sitting out the 2004-05 campaign, the 6-foot-8, 240-pound power forward returned to average 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds this season. Powe had a 41-point game vs. Oregon, and a 20-rebound performance against USC. Dr. Richard Steadman, the Colorado-based surgeon who performed the 2003 operations on Powe's knee, examined Powe on Tuesday and gave him a glowing report. "The combination of the great stability he has now and the fact that the muscle is even stronger and bigger on the side of the injury than the other side would say he is completely back," Steadman said. "I'm quite excited about it. His future is very bright." If the NBA may have fewer questions about Powe's knee, his basketball rsum is not entirely well-rounded. His midrange shooting and ability to score off the dribble remain inconsistent. </div> Source
