April 12--One good turn in the tournament deserves another for Notre Dame's V.J. Beachem. The junior forward announced Tuesday he will enter the NBA draft but will not hire an agent.
Beachem averaged 17.5 points and four rebounds per game and was named to the East Regional all-tournament team while helping the Irish advance to their second consecutive Elite Eight.
Under new NCAA rules, players may enter the draft but retain their college eligibility if they don't hire an agent, and as long as they withdraw their names within 10 days of the NBA combine, which ends May 15.
Beachem, who averaged 12 points and 3.9 rebounds overall this season, said he talked the decision over with his family and coach Mike Brey.
"After our run in the tournament Coach Brey brought up the idea of entering my name in the NBA Draft process ... I am excited about this opportunity," Beachem, a Fort Wayne, Ind., native, said in a statement.
Brey said he encouraged Beachem to test the NBA waters to better gauge his future and to take advantage of the new rules.
"He finished the season on an outstanding run, and the ability to go through this process will be another step forward in his confidence as a player and as a leader in our program," Brey said in a statement. "This can really set him up for a great finish to his college career or provide him the opportunity to play the game at its highest level."
Teammate Demetrius Jackson will leave school early and enter the draft but said he will hire an agent.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
