Baylor Star Perry Jones III Declares for 2012 NBA Draft

In a move that may have been a year too late, Baylor forward Perry Jones III is heading to the NBA.

CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman broke the news on Monday:

"

Perry Jones III is headed to the NBA, sources told CBSSports

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) April 9, 2012"

The report was later confirmed by Baylor's official website, to whom Jones spoke about his decision and had nothing but positive remarks for his former school:

"

I want to thank Baylor Nation for an unbelievable two years. Baylor will always be a second home to me and I look forward to spending a lot of time in Waco and working towards finishing my degree.

Thanks again to all the great Baylor fans for accepting me into your family.

"

Jones is projected to be the 13th pick by nbadraft.net and the ninth selection by draftexpress.com. With his long arms and incredible athletic ability for a big man, there will certainly be a lot of interest in the 20-year-old.

While getting selected in the lottery surely is a grand accomplishment, the sophomore would have been selected even higher if he had decided to leave after his freshman season.

The 6’11’’, 235-pound Duncanville, Texas native regressed statically in his second year with the Bears. His 13.5 PPG, 0.6 BPG and 50 percent shooting percentage were all worse than his numbers as a freshman.

Jones seemed to lose his focus at times during the regular season, and he put up more than a few duds. Passive could be a word to describe his play through large stretches of the regular season, but he finished the season strong by averaging 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in his final two tournament games.

Now he’s off to the NBA, where he’ll need a few years of experience before truly making a mark on the league. With his size and natural talent...it will only be a matter of time.

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