BATON ROUGE – LSU’s Stromile Swift will apply for placement in the upcoming NBA draft without securing an agent, which allows him the option of withdrawing his name prior to the draft on June 28, he announced on Thursday.
The move allows Swift to maintain his amateur status and collegiate eligibility while providing him time to gather more accurate information about where he would be selected in the draft.
“I love being at LSU and being a part of the LSU basketball team and I have no desire to give that up, but I owe it to my family to get all of the facts about where I would be drafted if I decided to leave,” Swift said. “There are a lot of rumors about where I would be drafted, and this just gives me a chance to get past all of the rumors and find out more facts.”
College underclassmen have a deadline of Sunday to apply for placement in the draft. By placing his name in the draft, Swift can observe the NBA lottery selection on May 21, which will determine draft order for the teams, and will permit him to work out for those teams, allowable activities under NCAA regulations.
Swift must decide by June 21 whether or not to leave his name in eligibility for the draft.
“I think this is a wise choice that allows him to make a decision on as many available facts as he and his family can gather,” said LSU head coach John Brady. “I am in total agreement with his mother and with Stromile to do what is best for him.
“Stromile has continued to work out with the team since our Sweet 16 appearance and he will enroll in intersession if necessary to maintain his eligibility,” Brady said.
“I’m going to do everything necessary to maintain my eligibility at LSU until I have to make a final decision,” Swift said. “Coach Brady and his staff have been nothing but fair to me since I have been at LSU. I am going to do the same thing in return.”
Brady and Swift will make no further comment on this decision at this time.