Kevon Looney undecided about following Norman Powell to NBA
Freshman forward Kevon Looney has not yet declared whether he will go pro, but many around the team feel he will make his decision over the next few days. (Katie Meyers/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Matt Joye
April 1, 2015 8:12 a.m.
Norman Powell is going through the wide range of emotions common to many graduating seniors.
There’s the relief that the last final exam is over, but also the anxiousness of going into a job market that is even larger and more competitive than UCLA.
For Powell, that market is the NBA.
“I mean it’s crazy, you know – it’s finally setting in with me,” the senior guard said. “I know it’s gonna be tough. There’s gonna be a lot of workouts. It’s gonna be a lot of grinding, but I’m ready for it.”
While the decision is made for Powell – he has exercised all of his collegiate eligibility – forward Kevon Looney’s next step could go either way.
The UCLA freshman is widely considered a lottery pick, which would guarantee him millions of dollars in an NBA rookie contract. But then there’s the allure of coming back to UCLA – a place that teammates said he became more comfortable with as the year progressed.
“He came in here as a kid who was a shy kid – he didn’t say much,” said sophomore guard Bryce Alford. “And then the kid had a blast this year – he really opened up. He became as much of a jokester as (junior forward/center) Tony (Parker) by the end of the year.”
Looney wasn’t available to comment on his plans Tuesday, as he is back home in Milwaukee discussing his future with his family. Powell said he talked with Looney last week, and added that Looney may be “50-50” on his decision right now.
“Hopefully, in a couple days we’ll know whether he’s staying or going,” Powell said.
Alford said if there’s one player he knows would choose to return instead of taking a top-15 draft pick, it would be Looney. Alford and the Bruins are hoping Looney will come back, but said they’re not pressuring him with the decision.
“You know, he’s talking to his parents – we want to give him some space where he can talk to his family,” said coach Steve Alford. “Whatever his decision is, we’re gonna be extremely supportive.”
Over recent years, UCLA men’s basketball has had several players leave early to go pro. Sometimes, the decision to leave early has worked out – as in the cases of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love – and other times, the choice to go pro has proven premature, as in the cases of Malcolm Lee and Tyler Honeycutt.
If Looney does decide to go for the NBA, Alford said the 6-foot-9-inch, 220-pound forward won’t be short on work ethic or intangibles.
“He has been tremendous for us,” Alford said. “Not just what you all see of what he does on the court – being basically a double-double machine – but (he’s) just a terrific person: very, very coachable, knows he’s got to get better, works to get better. So we couldn’t ask for a better year.”
