Singler getting input on NBA draft

Duke forward Kyle Singler planned to meet with the Blue Devils' coaches Tuesday to get input on whether he should enter the NBA draft, team spokesman Matt Plizga confirmed.

Plizga said Singler plans to take the weekend to think about his decision. Earlier this month, Singler was named the most outstanding player of the Final Four after Duke defeated Butler 61-59 to win the NCAA championship.

Singler has one season of eligibility remaining. He told the Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Ore., on Monday that he intends to make a firm decision rather than entering the draft without hiring an agent.

Underclassmen must declare for the draft by April 25, and have until May 8 to withdraw from the draft – if they don’t hire an agent. But Singler’s comments indicated that he’s not interested in that option.

"I'll probably declare or not," he said. "I don't want to test the waters. I don't see any value in that.”

Singler, who’s from Medford, Ore., played wing forward at 6-foot-8 for Duke in 2009-10, ranking second on the team in scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). He scored a game-high 19 points in the NCAA championship game.

He is considered a likely mid- to late-first round pick, which is an important benchmark because first-round picks receive guaranteed contracts, while second-round picks do not. A sampling of mock drafts Tuesday afternoon had Singler at 19th (NBAdraft.net), 27th (DraftExpress.com) and 30th (Hoopshype.com) in the 30-pick first round.

Ken Tysiac