Providence sophomore Ben Bentil said he will declare for the NBA Draft but not hire an agent, leaving open the option to return to school.
The forward announced his intentions in a statement released Wednesday. He has until May 25 to withdraw from draft consideration without forfeiting the remainder of collegiate eligibility.
The 6-foot-9-inch Bentil had a breakout season, leading the Big East in scoring at 21.2 points per game and averaging 7.7 rebounds. His efforts earned him first-team Big East honors.
He also was named the conference’s most improved player. Bentil scored 20 or more points in 21 of Providence’s 35 games, including a season-high 42 at Marquette.
The Friars finished 24-11, losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to North Carolina.
Bentil said he intends to stay in school this spring and finish his sophomore year.
‘‘We support Ben as he goes through this process,’’ Providence coach Ed Cooley said in a statement.
‘‘We believe this will enable him to gain valuable experience and have better knowledge about when it will be best for him to pursue his dreams of playing in the NBA.’’
Kentucky goners?
John Calipari said every Kentucky player eligible to declare will submit their names for this year’s NBA Draft.
Calipari posted tweets saying Kentucky players of age will declare for the draft, though all may not attend the league’s invitation-only combine.
Under new NCAA rules, players have up to 10 days after the pre-draft combine to withdraw from consideration and can try out with an NBA team.
Guards Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray and 6-11 Skal Labissiere are considered likely draft choices, but Calipari said walk-ons will also declare. Freshmen Isaac Humphries and Tai Wynyard won’t because they will not turn 19 this year.
Said Calipari, ‘‘It’s a true win-win for the student-athlete.’’
UCF hires Dawkins
Central Florida has hired Johnny Dawkins as its new coach.
Dawkins, who will be the Knights’ seventh head coach since the program’s inception in 1969, was fired last week by Stanford after coaching the Cardinal for eight seasons.
He replaces Donnie Jones, whose UCF run ended following a disappointing loss to No. 10 seed Tulane during the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament on March 10.
Dawkins, 52, comes to Stanford after posting a 156-115 overall record and 66-78 record in Pac-12 play during his tenure. The Cardinal made the NCAA Tournament just once in his eight seasons, making it to the Sweet 16 two years ago.
Dawkins was fired this season after Stanford went 15-15 and 8-10 in Pac-12 play.
Friendship aside
Friendship takes a backseat at the NCAA Tournament, especially with a berth in the Elite Eight on the line.
Just ask Villanova coach Jay Wright.
Wright has recruited and coached against Jim Larranaga for years. They grew close traveling together on Nike trips, sitting beside each other at AAU events or hitting balls on the golf course. They also have swapped ideas for basketball drills. They have spent so much time together that their wives became friends, too.
Throw all of that out of the window on Thursday night — for a couple of hours at least.
Wright and No. 2 seed Villanova will square off against Larranaga’s third-seeded Miami Hurricanes in the South Region semifinal at Louisville, Ky.
‘‘When you get to the Sweet 16, final eight, Final Four that kind of goes away,’’ Wright said Wednesday of not wanting to coach against friends or former assistants. ‘‘I don’t know why.’’
“Because you’re so focused on what you do, you’re so happy to be here. And usually, when you get to this point, it’s guys you know.’’
The coaches have shared enough over the years that when Larranaga studies Villanova (31-5) he sees of lot of Miami; the Wildcats use so many ball screens and multiple defenses that it’s almost a mirror image of his Hurricanes.
‘‘I’ve just enjoyed getting to know him and exchanging drills with him and talking basketball,’’ Larranaga said.
This will be the fourth game between the coaches, with Wright winning twice while Larranaga has the edge in their only NCAA Tournament meeting in 2011 when he was with George Mason.
Now Larranaga has Miami (27-7) in the Sweet 16 for only the third time for a program that has never gone any further.
Yet.
‘‘We definitely want to be the first group of guys to do that, and it will be a big accomplishment for us and the program,’’ Miami guard Sheldon McClellan said.
