Well, reports out of Norman are that sophomore guard Willie Warren has decided to forego his remaining two years of eligibility and declare for the NBA draft. Those same reports also indicate that he will reportedly hire an agent leaving no chance that he would attend the NBA pre draft camps and possibly return to OU after receiving his evaluation from NBA scouts.
There was some thought that Warren was waiting on a decision regarding Tiny Gallon's situation before determining whether or not to declare, so is this the first of two shoes to drop as they say? I think that's probably reading a bit too much into things, but either way with Warren's apparent declaration this OU team has lost yet another play maker.
UPDATE: Apparently Willie has confirmed the story. Check out some quotes after the jump.
The formal announcement came in a news release from the university, after The Oklahoman and Tulsa World reported in Thursday's editions that Warren had decided to turn pro. Warren said in the release that he has not signed with an agent but expects to do so soon
This was a stressful decision and one that I've been stuck in the middle on for a little while," Warren said. "I didn't like how things went this year with my injury and everything, but I also feel like I have the skills to take the next step. Some of the things I need to work on like being a better leader and being more vocal are things I can do at the next level.
I talked to my mom extensively the last few weeks and I feel like the best move for me is to make the jump. Coach Capel is in my corner and said he'll help me out as much as he can.
My freshman year I feel like I made some big contributions and I was somewhat satisfied," Warren said. "I feel like I could have scored more, but I understood the makeup of our team and it was a great feeling to make it all the way to the Elite Eight. My sophomore year was up and down and tough on all of us. It was a roller coaster ride, especially for me with my ankle injury and being sick.
But if I had to make my decision all over again, I would make the same one to attend OU. It was the best experience of my life and I want to thank all the Sooner fans who were behind me. - Willie Warren
Are you surprised with Warren's decision given the injury that caused him to miss the last part of OU's season? Does this OU team have a single consistent offensive threat on the roster for 2010? Those are just a couple of the questions Coach Capel, his staff, and this team are facing this offseason. What do you think?