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BYU basketball: Eric Mika declares for draft, won’t hire an agent

By Nathan Cunningham

Dec 22, 2016; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Eric Mika (12) shoots the ball over two Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners players during the second half at Marriott Center. Brigham Young Cougars won the game 81-71. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2016; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Eric Mika (12) shoots the ball over two Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners players during the second half at Marriott Center. Brigham Young Cougars won the game 81-71. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports /
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BYU basketball’s biggest star might be moving to greener pastures as Eric Mika is declaring for the NBA Draft.

The BYU basketball Twitter account just announced that Eric Mika is declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft.

However, Mika will maintain his college eligibility by not hiring an agent.

The NBA’s new draft rules allow for a player to test the draft waters by getting evaluated, but can reserve the right to go back to school. The rules are certainly more player-friendly, and it would’ve been silly for Mika to not try it.

Best case scenario for him is he’s evaluated well and he likes his draft stock. Then he goes pro. Best case for BYU basketball is he doesn’t like his draft projections and returns to Provo.

By declaring for the draft, he can workout with pro squads at the end of April and attend the NBA Draft Combine in early May. His deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft (therefore maintaining his college eligibility) is May 24.

“I’m excited to declare for the NBA Draft and I’m looking forward to the process,” Mika said in a BYU press release. “I have every intention of pursuing this opportunity with the hope of impressing NBA teams. I’ll work hard over the next several weeks to put myself in a position to be drafted. I’m optimistic about my chances.”

He added that he didn’t hire an agent because he “doesn’t want to rule out the possibility” of coming back to BYU basketball.

Next: Cougars favorite to land Breiden Fehoko?

Mika averaged 20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for BYU basketball. He was a member of the West Coast Conference All-First Team. He posted 17 doubles-doubles and scored 20+ points 16 times in 34 games.

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