Kapono Not Sure He Won’t Turn Pro

Adding to what is already a very uncertain future for the UCLA basketball team, All-Pacific 10 selection Jason Kapono said he has not ruled out leaving for the NBA after just one season in college.

“Right now, I’m coming back to school,” Kapono said Tuesday. “But I haven’t closed the door to any of the other possibilities. That’s a perfect statement that sums it all up.”

Speculation about the future of the Bruins’ best player has begun in NBA circles and comes as two other key members of the team that reached the Sweet 16, Jerome Moiso and JaRon Rush, are also contemplating making themselves available for the draft. What makes the potential string of defections all the more troublesome for UCLA is that the three constitute what would have been the heart of the forward spots--Kapono was the starting small forward last season and Moiso the starting power forward, while Rush would have been a key reserve at both had he not served a 24-game suspension for NCAA violations.

Kapono arrived as a much-heralded recruit from Artesia High in Lakewood and immediately lived up to the billing, beating out incumbent Rush for the starting spot and soon emerging as the most dependable Bruin player. He was dangerous from three-point range and a skilled passer, led the team in scoring in 16 of 32 games, led all Pac-10 freshmen in scoring and was named the conference co-freshman of the year in a vote of coaches.

“I haven’t talked to any agents, I haven’t talked to any scouts,” Kapono said. “I haven’t even said anything publicly. But if for some reason that changes, I’ve got to do what’s best for me.”

The deadline for declaring for the draft is May 14, but then players have until one week before the June 21 draft to change their minds.

Also Tuesday, Matt Barnes, a key reserve forward, told football Coach Bob Toledo he plans to join that team in the fall as a wide receiver, before returning to basketball early in that season. Barnes had 58 catches and 28 touchdowns as a high school senior in Sacramento, but will also be far behind the learning curve with the Bruins and playing on a squad that returns several experienced receivers, so he might not even get in a game.