Harangody declares for NBA Draft

Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody will declare for the NBA Draft in his Thursday press conference, but does not plan to hire an agent and will leave open the

Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody will declare for the NBA Draft in his Thursday press conference, but does not plan to hire an agent and will leave open the possibility of returning to school for his senior season, a source told SI.com. Harangody would consider remaining in the draft even if he were a second-round pick, the source said.

Harangody averaged 23.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game as a junior for the Irish, who finished 21-15 and lost to Penn State in the semifinals of the NIT. As a sophomore Harangody was named Big East Player of the Year after averaging 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds.

The source said that Harangody intends to continue his junior-year studies at Notre Dame to maintain his eligibility, but will look to split time between the South Bend, Ind., campus and Chicago this spring in order to conduct pre-draft workouts. Multiple NBA sources told SI.com that Harangody would initially be projected as a mid- to-late second-round pick, but could improve his standing with strong showings in workout settings.

If Harangody were to return to the Irish as a senior, he'd be joining a new-look team that includes transfers Scott Martin (from Purdue) and Ben Hansbrough (from Mississippi State), who sat out all of last season. Senior point guard Tory Jackson, who averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 assists in '08-09, would be the only other returning starter.