by Barca BlogVanderbilt junior center A.J. Ogilvy met with the media a few hours ago to officially announce that he will forgo his senior season to declare for the NBA Draft.
A couple of notes from the press conference:
- Ogilvy opened with the following statement: "I talked with my family and coaches here, and I think (going pro) is what's best for me. I really enjoyed all my time at Vanderbilt. I really want to thank the coaches and fans for everything they've done for me. I'm just excited to try to get my game to the next level."
- Ogilvy mentioned that it wasn't an easy decision, and that he a spent long time thinking about it to make the right decision. His said his parents played a big role in the process.
- When asked why he didn't wait to hire an agent to keep his options open, Ogilvy said, "This is what I wanted to do. Once I put my name in, I wanted to put all my effort and time into it." He added that he might pull out of classes this semester to spend time at home before workouts. He didn't know if he would finish his degree at Vanderbilt, but suggested in the "long run" he might finish school in Australia.
-Based on what his agent said, he feels that he could move up the board during pre-draft workouts, which helped him make his final decision. He's been told he needs to improve on his explosiveness and conditioning. If he doesn't get drafted, he plans to play in Europe, but wants to pursue his dream to play in the NBA.
- The high number of underclassmen entering the draft didn't play a role in his decision.
- According to Ogilvy, Coach Stallings thought he should wait to sign with an agent.
- When asked if he had any regrets at Vanderbilt, Ogilvy said, "The two tournament losses will haunt me, but we've had a lot of fun and won a lot of big games and I'll take those memories with me."
- On if he felt appreciated by the fans: "I think the fans did a great job of acknowledging me and cheering me on during games."
Watch the entire press conference below:
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