Young, Crittenton choose to stay in NBA draft

For the second straight season, the Jackets' men's basketball team's starting line-up with see some radical changes.

Freshman Thaddeus Young decided to keep his name in next week's NBA draft on the day of the deadline. Fellow freshman Javaris Crittenton signed with an agent and chose to remain in the draft close to a month ago.

Both are expected to be high- to mid-first round picks. Some mock drafts have Crittenton staying close to home with the Hawks' No. 11 pick.

The former five-star recruit from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy averaged a team high 14.4 points per game as well as averaging 5.8 assists per game, second in the conference.

Crittenton was also key in helping the Jackets improve on their 11-17 season from two years ago to finish with a 20-12 record and an even mark in the ACC.

Crittenton played inconsistently throughout his only season at the Flats, but showed that he could lead the team both offensively and defensively when he was at his best.

His 78.3% free throw percentage was second on the team, but attempted over twice as many free throws as Anthony Morrow, the team leader (84.5%).

In the game against North Carolina toward the end of the season, Crittenton played especially well, showcasing his talents on a national stage. He dished out 11 assists and scored 13 points, earning one of his three double doubles of the year.

The Atlanta native was also named to the All-ACC third team and was a unanimous choice among all voters as a All-ACC freshman. He was named ACC rookie of the week three times in his only season at Tech.

With Crittenton gone, the Jackets start the process of finding another starting point guard for the third straight season. Mario West's graduation left the Jackets without their most experienced player at the position.

Senior transfer Matt Causey, who sat out last season, is expected to compete for the starting job. Maurice Miller, a four star point guard from Memphis, is expected to also see playing time in his freshman season. D'Andre Bell spent time learning the position and will likely play at the position some next season as well.

Thaddeus Young's decision took more time; he decided the morning of the withdrawal deadline that he would remain in the draft. Young co-led the team in scoring at 14.4 and averaged just under five rebounds a game during the season.

"This year was one of the most memorable times of my life. Most of all, I'd like to thank my teammates and my coaching staff for being my fathers and my brothers away from home, and thanks for a great year," Young said to ramblinwreck.com.

Young was invited to sit in the greenroom at the draft, a sign that he would likely be a high- to mid- first round pick.

Thaddeus had a similar breakout game against North Carolina, scoring a then career high 25 points against the then No. 8 team.

With the departure of the two most highly recruited freshman at Tech since Chris Bosh in 2003, the basketball team takes a major hit. Not only does it lose two impact players, but it leaves the Jackets without an experienced point guard for the third straight season.

There is a lot more depth behind Young on the chart. Mohammed Faye played the small forward position at times last season and showed improvement towards the end of the season. Anthony Morrow and Lewis Clinch will play the shooting guard, a spot that Young also filled throughout his season. This is in addition to the arrival of four star recruit shooting guard Lance Storrs.

Only eight underclassmen have ever given up their eligibility and declared for the draft, including four in the last four years.

Of the previous players who had opted for the draft early, four were selected as one of the first five picks and all six were selected in the first round. Chris Bosh, Jarret Jack and Stephon Marbury are all still playing in the NBA.

Despite the departure of the freshmen, this season's team will be the most experienced team Paul Hewitt has coached since 2004, the year after the Jackets made the Final Four.

With just three players leaving, Hewitt has four seniors on his roster. Three of those seniors have been playing at Tech since their freshman year .

Ra'Sean Dickey, Jeremis Smith, and Anthony Morrow all figure to play major roles this season. Hewitt has not had the luxury of multiple seniors since that 2004 season.