UCLA’s Mbah a Moute to enter NBA draft

UCLA junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute became the third Bruin in two days to declare his intentions to enter the NBA draft this afternoon. Freshman center Kevin Love and sophomore guard Russell Westbrook made the same announcement Thursday.

Mbah a Moute, who has started 106 of the 107 games he has played for UCLA in his three years, will not hire an agent so that he can remain eligible to play his senior season if he is not evaluated as a potential first-round draft pick.

“I want to see what kind of feedback I get from different teams,” Mbah a Moute said, “but I’m leaving my options open for coming back to school.”

Mbah a Moute, who is 6 feet 8 and 230 pounds, missed six games this season because of a sprained ankle and a concussion. He averaged 8.8 points and 6.0 rebounds a game. Statistically Mbah a Moute had his best season as a freshman when he scored 9.1 points a game and had 8.2 rebounds a game.

This was a decision, Mbah a Moute said, he made after talking to UCLA Coach Ben Howland and his father, Camille Moute a Bidias, who came from Cameroon to watch Mbah a Moute play basketball in the United States for the first time at the Final Four in San Antonio earlier this month.

Howland said he has had some preliminary talks with NBA general managers who have indicated that Mbah a Moute is considered a second-round draft pick. Mbah a Moute hopes to raise his stock by participating in private team workouts in June. He will have until June 16 to decide whether to hire an agent and remain in the draft or withdraw his name and return to UCLA.

diane.pucin@latimes.com