Test-Case Scenario for Bruins

UCLA sophomore guards Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo will gingerly test the murky waters of the NBA draft, exploring their chances of landing in the first round while making sure their college eligibility isn’t swept away in the process.

The Bruins’ offensive leaders announced Thursday that they had made themselves eligible for the June 28 draft, but will not hire agents and will personally bear any expense involved in traveling for individual team workouts. This will give them the option of withdrawing from the draft by June 18, the deadline for maintaining eligibility.

Coming off a season in which UCLA reached the NCAA championship game before losing to Florida, both players said they wouldn’t consider renouncing their college eligibility without the assurance of a first-round slot. Neither would be specific about how high in that round they would have to go to give up their remaining two years at UCLA.

“My goal as a basketball player is to play in the NBA,” Farmar said. “I feel I’m getting closer and closer to that every day as each year goes by. I want to see how close I am. I think this is a win-win situation for me. I can always come back with a great team. We have so much momentum and confidence built up with the UCLA program now that it would be a great situation to come back to.

“At the same time, it’s also good for me to test and feel and see what [NBA] people think about me and where I am in terms of reaching my goal. I can use this as a learning experience. If they say I’m not ready and I need to work on things, I can learn what I need to work on.”

Afflalo echoed his backcourt partner.

“It’s a good opportunity to go in and feel out how I compete with some of the other players,” Afflalo said. If he does well, “that will weigh on my decision. Otherwise, if this was not the smartest decision, I’m coming back to a great situation.”

One NBA general manager, who spoke on condition of anonymity, projects Farmar as “on the bubble” for being a first-round pick, with Afflalo going in the second round. He gave Farmar the edge because he is a point guard, a highly valued commodity in what figures to be a down draft year in terms of talent.

“I feel I will be a first-round pick at some point,” Farmar said.

UCLA Coach Ben Howland, who has been an active participant in the decision-making process for Farmar and Afflalo, a process that has been ongoing since the team’s season ended in Indianapolis’ RCA Dome April 3, estimated that his two players would be invited to try out by five to seven teams. Even assuming some of the teams hold the workouts at UCLA, Howland estimated that it could cost Farmar and Afflalo up to $10,000 each in travel and other expenses.

Although there is a pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., June 6-10, neither player displayed much enthusiasm about taking part even if they were to be invited. Both feel they could show more in team workouts.

Howland, who sat between Farmar and Afflalo at Thursday’s news conference, finds himself in the middle of a tough situation. While he is doing all he can to facilitate the draft process, he knows losing these two players would be a severe blow to his team. Afflalo led UCLA in scoring (15.8 points a game) and was the Bruins’ top defensive stopper. Farmar averaged 13.5 points and ran the offense.

“We are 100% behind them all the way,” Howland said. “If they come back, God bless them. I will be so happy. And if they elect to stay in the draft and go in the first round, that will be great too.”

Neither player can participate in an NBA workout until dropping down to the status of part-time student. That will require each player to drop one of the three classes he is carrying. Both will do so May 20.

Both made it clear that, stay or go, they will earn their degree.

“If I play 10 years in the NBA, I’ll still only be 29,” Farmar said. “There is still so much to life after that. But without a degree, there could be nothing.”