USC’s Dozier declares for NBA Draft, doesn’t sign with agent

In a move long expected, South Carolina sophomore guard P.J. Dozier announced he will will test the waters of the NBA Draft, but won’t hire an agent and retain his ability to return to school.

“I want to thank my family, coach (Frank) Martin, my teammates and our amazing fans at South Carolina for the support that I’ve received thus far in my time as a Gamecock,” Dozier said in a statement. “After talking with my family and Frank following our time at the Final Four, I’ve made the decision to submit my name for the draft, but I’ve not hired an agent. I’m looking forward to continuing to grow my game and the draft process.”

The Spring Valley High alum has been on and off NBA mock drafts since he enrolled, and his fiery finish in a Final Four season had scouts again talking about him. The 6-foot-6 guard was a major part of the Gamecocks’ NCAA Tournament run, able to get to the rim and finish while also directing traffic as a point guard.

Some mock drafts have Dozier projected as a second-round pick, some don’t have him on their boards at all. But the purpose of the NBA Combine is to get a player to a camp or workout where coaches, NBA players and general managers can scout them. That way, the advice is coming first-hand from a team representative and not an agent, which is why the rule was created two years ago.

If a player thinks he has an NBA future, it’s smart to find out what they need to improve on, the best projection for where they might go in the draft and if they don’t like what they hear, they can return to school.

Dozier’s athleticism and ability to play the point are pluses for an NBA team, but some might still be leery about his inconsistent jump shot. Since Dozier missed USC’s game at Kentucky on Jan. 21 with a back injury, his jumper was out of sorts.

He can work on improving his shooting over the summer and have NBA scouts coach him.

Dozier had a 40.7 field-goal percentage this season, but made 50.8 percent of his shots during the Gamecocks’ NCAA Tournament run.

“We are all very excited for P.J. and the opportunity that he has in front of him in taking full advantage of his ability to test the waters and submit his name for the draft,” Martin said in a statement.

Dozier has until May 24 to work out for scouts and make a final decision. His return would give the Gamecocks a boost in trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament, since they would return three starters and have a strong high-low combination to depend on. In that scenario, Delaware transfer Kory Holden could step in at two guard and be an immediate scoring option after he averaged nearly 18 points per game in his last season before transferring.

If Dozier decides to stay in the draft, USC will have some decisions to make. Rising sophomore Rakym Felder can play the point, as can Holden, but the Gamecocks will have to rebuild much of their defensive presence on the perimeter.

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 4:14 PM with the headline "USC’s Dozier declares for NBA Draft, doesn’t sign with agent."