<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Steven Smith, the linchpin of a depleted La Salle basketball team, has decided to declare himself eligible for the NBA draft. "I want to test the waters, see where I stand, seeing as how I'm graduating," Smith said yesterday. He was named an Atlantic Ten co-player of the year last week, along with St. Joseph's Pat Carroll. Smith helped lead a team shaken by the arrest of three players on sexual-assault charges in the off-season to a 10-19 record, including an upset of Massachusetts in the A-10 tournament. He is scheduled to receive his management degree in May, but still has a year of eligibility. Under NCAA rules, he can attend the NBA predraft camp in Chicago in June without forfeiting his eligibility, as long as he does not hire an agent. If he decides he isn't ready for the NBA, he can return to La Salle.</div> Source
