First it was Spinelli, and now Aleks Maric may be leaving for the NBA. Maric has declared for the draft, but has not hired an agent, so he will remain eligibile for a while longer. If he pulls out of the draft within a week of the draft, he'll still be eligible. I'm not sure if he stays in the draft and either goes undrafted or doesn't like where he got drafted, he would retain his eligibility. My guess is not, but that's just a guess.
My guess is that this is more testing the waters than anything. 56 underclassmen have declared for the draft, and only 60 players will be drafted. However, Maric could still decide to turn pro and head to Europe or home to Australia.
What does this mean for Husker hoops? Well, the momentum that Steve Pederson saw at the Big XII tournament is disappearing fast. Tom Shatel discussed it in today's World-Herald and that Husker Hoops is "sailing to no port. Or is the ship sinking?"
If Maric does not return, the future of Husker basketball looks extremely cloudy. First, you have to wonder about others on the roster--- will they return or will they ask for transfers? If you have any more defections, then where do you restart the building process? And can Barry Collier do it with the black cloud of his departure looming over his head? If Nebraska has to start over again, it will require a minimum three-year commitment to the head coach.
If Maric leaves in June, what does Nebraska do? Do they let Collier finish out next season, or do they pull the trigger when nobody is changing jobs? Illinois was able to hire Bill Self over the summer when Lon Krueger got an NBA offer, but the Illini were an established program. Husker hoops is really starting to look like a muddled mess.
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