Basketball media relations director Ron Mears confirmed Monday that Memphis junior forward Chris Massie has been advised by head coach John Calipari to enter this summer’s NBA Draft.
Mears said the 6-9, 253-pound Massie was told by Calipari to declare for the draft, but not to sign with an agent beforehand, keeping his eligibility at The U of M intact if Massie doesn’t like his draft position and decides to return to school.
“(Calipari) recommended he go ahead and declare for the draft and not sign with an agent to keep his options open,” Mears said by phone Monday afternoon.
Massie, who averaged 9.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the NIT champion Tigers last season, becomes the second Memphis underclassman to declare for the draft and the third Tiger to leave the team in the last week.
On Wednesday, freshman sensation Dajuan Wagner declared his intentions to enter the draft while sophomore Scooter McFadgon announced he would be leaving the Tigers to transfer to another school. Wagner has already signed with an agent, making a return to Memphis impossible.
Massie, Wagner and McFadgon combined to average 40.9 of the Tigers 80 points per game last season (51 percent). With the added departure of senior forward Kelly Wise, who is also likely to be drafted this summer, Memphis stands to lose 65 percent of its scoring and 60 percent of its rebounding from a year ago should Massie leave.
