Keith Benson, a 6-11 center for Oakland University, has withdrawn from the 2010 NBA draft and will have surgery to strengthen a ligament in his thumb.

Benson was quoted in an OU news release as saying: ?My thumb doesn?t hurt. I am not in pain at all. I played the entire season with it but was advised that I will need the surgery down the line, so I have opted to have it now. I don?t want to take a chance of injuring my thumb by participating in NBA workouts.?

University of Dayton junior forward Chris Wright has announced that he is withdrawing his name from this year?s NBA draft and is returning to the Flyers for his senior season.

Wright, the leading scorer and rebounder for UD?s 2010 NIT championship team, announced he was entering his name in the draft on April 7. However, he did not sign with an agent which allowed him to retain his collegiate eligibility.

?I have decided to return to UD for my senior season and have pulled my name out of this year?s NBA draft,? Wright said. ?When I announced I was investigating the draft, I said my three main goals as a Dayton Flyer were to graduate, to raise the national profile of our program, and to put myself in position to play at the highest level. I?m excited about accomplishing these three goals.?

The NBA announced today that 103 players, including 80 players from U.S. colleges and 23 international players, have filed as early entry candidates for the 2010 NBA Draft.

Players wishing to enter the 2010 NBA Draft were required to submit a letter to the NBA to be received no later than Sunday, April 25. Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on Monday, June 14.

Following is the list of players from U.S. colleges and institutions who have applied for early entry into the 2010 NBA Draft, which will be held Thursday, June 24, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City:

Early Entry Candidates

Player, School, Status

Solomon Alabi, Florida State, Sophomore

Cole Aldrich, Kansas, Junior

Lavoy Allen, Temple, Junior

Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest, Sophomore

James Anderson, Oklahoma State, Junior

Kevin Anderson, Richmond, Junior

Luke Babbitt, Nevada, Sophomore

Armon Bassett, Ohio, Junior

Talor Battle, Penn State, Junior

Keith Benson, Oakland, Junior

Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky, Freshman

Anatoly Bose, Nicholls State, Junior

Dee Bost, Mississippi State, Sophomore

Craig Brackins, Iowa State, Junior

Avery Bradley, Texas, Freshman

Carlon Brown, Utah, Junior

Derrick Caracter, UTEP, Junior

DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, Freshman

Jordan Crawford, Xavier, Sophomore

Ed Davis, North Carolina, Sophomore

Mike Davis, Illinois, Junior

Paul Davis, Winston-Salem State, Junior

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech, Junior

Devin Ebanks, West Virginia, Sophomore

Kenneth Faried, Morehead State, Junior

Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech, Freshman

Courtney Fortson, Arkansas, Sophomore

Jimmer Fredette, BYU, Junior

Keith ?Tiny? Gallon, Oklahoma, Freshman

Charles Garcia, Seattle, Junior

Paul George, Fresno State, Sophomore

Anthony Gurley, Massachusetts, Junior

Manny Harris, Michigan, Junior

Gordon Hayward, Butler, Sophomore

Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, Junior

Xavier Henry, Kansas, Freshman

Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Junior

Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb, Junior

Armon Johnson, Nevada, Junior

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue, Junior

Ravern Johnson, Mississippi State, Junior

Wesley Johnson, Syracuse, Junior

Cameron Jones, Northern Arizona, Junior

Dominique Jones, South Florida, Junior

Mac Koshwal, DePaul, Junior

Sylven Landesberg, Virginia, Sophomore

Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech, Junior

Kenny Lawson, Creighton, Junior

Tommy Mason-Griffin, Oklahoma, Freshman

Demetri McCamey, Illinois, Junior

Elijah Millsap, Alabama-Birmingham, Junior

Greg Monroe, Georgetown, Sophomore

E?Twaun Moore, Purdue, Junior

Arnett Moultrie, UTEP, Sophomore

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt, Junior

Daniel Orton, Kentucky, Freshman

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky, Junior

Rico Pickett, Manhattan, Junior

Eniel Polynice, Mississippi, Junior

Herb Pope, Seton Hall, Sophomore

Jeff Robinson, Seton Hall, Junior

Samardo Samuels, Louisville, Sophomore

Larry Sanders, Virginia Commonwealth, Junior

John Sloan, Huntingdon (AL), Junior

Tracy Smith, North Carolina State, Junior

Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, Freshman

Lazar Trifunovic, Radford, Junior

Evan Turner, Ohio State, Junior

Alex Tyus, Florida, Junior

Ekpe Udoh, Baylor, Junior

John Wall, Kentucky, Freshman

Willie Warren, Oklahoma, Sophomore

Quinton Watkins, San Diego State, Freshman

C.J. Webster, San Jose State, Junior

Terrico White, Mississippi, Sophomore

Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, Freshman

Elliot Williams, Memphis, Sophomore

Stevy Worah-Ozimo, Slippery Rock, Junior

Chris Wright, Dayton, Junior

Jahmar Young, New Mexico State, Junior

The following is the list of international players who have applied for early entry into the 2010 NBA Draft:

Pablo Aguilar, Granada (Spain), 1989 DOB

Andrew Albicy, Paris-Levallois (France), 1990 DOB

Robin Benzing, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany), 1989 DOB

Stefan Bircevic, Metalac (Serbia), 1989 DOB

Bojan Bogdanovic, Cibona (Croatia), 1989 DOB

Sarra Camara, Le Havre (France), 1989 DOB

Antoine Diot, Le Mans (France), 1989 DOB

Bangaly Fofana, ASVEL (France), 1989 DOB

Miralem Halilovic, Sloboda Dita (Bosnia), 1991 DOB

Thomas Heurtel, Strasbourg (France), 1989 DOB

Edwin Jackson, Rouen (France), 1989 DOB

Dusan Korac, Centar (Montenegro), 1991 DOB

Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Siauliai (Lithuania), 1989 DOB

Luc Louves, Maurienne (France) 1989 DOB

Uros Lukovic, Radnicki Basket (Serbia), 1989 DOB

Donatas Motiejunas, Benetton Treviso (Italy), 1990 DOB

Tomasz Nowakowski, Luka Koper (Slovenia), 1990 DOB

Tibor Pleiss, Brose Baskets (Germany), 1989 DOB

Xavier Rabaseda, FC Barcelona (Spain), 1989 DOB

Fernando Raposo, Pau Orthez (France), 1989 DOB

Ryan Richards, Gran Canaria (Spain), 1991 DOB

Kevin S?raphin, Cholet (France), 1989 DOB

Semen Shashkov, Ural Ekaterinburg (Russia), 1989 DOB


*Country indicates where team plays, not country of nationality.

Jan Vesely has decided not to enter the 2010 NBA Draft.

"After consulting with my coach Mr. Dusan Vujosevic, my Agent and my family, who has always been very supportive of me in every decision that I have made in the past, I made the decision not to enter the 2010 NBA Draft.

"I have decided to stay and play for my club BC Partizan for the next season.

"Basketball is my life, something that is very important to me, and I want to continue to learn more.

"My Coach Dusan Vujosevic and all of the staff of BC Partizan have been great to me ever since I have arrived to Belgrade, Serbia. Because of my coaches, my teammates and the best fans in the world, Belgrade is a place that I will always call home.

"Playing in the NBA has been my dream since I started to play basketball. But, to be ready for this, I feel now is the time for me to continue to work hard to realize that goal in near future."

Morehead State?s Kenneth Faried is the latest underclassmen to look into the NBA Draft.

Coach Donnie Tyndall said on Friday that Faried will declare for the draft but will not hire an agent, which would leave him the option to return for his senior year.

Morehead State?s Kenneth Faried is the latest underclassmen to look into the NBA Draft.

Coach Donnie Tyndall said on Friday that Faried will declare for the draft but will not hire an agent, which would leave him the option to return for his senior year.

Faried was an Associated Press All-American honorable mention. He averaged 16.9 points and was second in the nation in rebounds (13.0 per game). Tyndall said Faried informed him of his decision last week.

?He is definitely going to test the waters,? Tyndall said. ?Workouts can start on (April) 29th and will go on until (May) 8th and by that time he has to make a decision. He?ll have about a 10-day window to work out if anybody works him out.?

Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson will skip his senior season and head to the NBA.

Patterson said Friday that it's time to start a new chapter in his life after three seasons in Lexington.

He averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Wildcats this season.

Patterson is one of five Kentucky underclassmen heading to the NBA, joining John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton.

Florida State center Solomon Alabi will announce on Friday that he is declaring for the NBA Draft.

Alabi, a 7-foot-1 native of Nigeria, led the Seminoles in scoring this season with 11.7 points per game. He was also a first-team selection to the ACC's All-Defensive team after blocking 75 shots in 32 games.

John Wall formally announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft on Thursday.

?People are going to ask what I?m going to do with my money,? said Wall. ?I ain?t worried about it. I have one suit. This is the only suit I got. I wear this to every press conference.?

Wall said he?s looking forward to providing for his mother, Frances Pulley, with his first professional contract.

Wall hopes to be the first player selected.

?If I go 1 or 2 ? I would love to go 1 ? but either way, I?m just going to be happy that I reached my goal and I?m going to set a better life for my mom,? Wall said.

Wall said he has yet to sign with an agent, but that he?s ?finalizing? that decision. He said there was ?nothing new? to report on a Yahoo! Sports report that was close to signing a deal with LeBron James? marketing company, LRMR.

?Me and my family are sitting back waiting to finalize anything about business or signing with anybody,? Wall said. ?When I make the decision, I?ll let everybody know.?

UTEP's Arnett Moultrie has entered his name in the 2010 NBA draft, two sources said. Moultrie won't hire an agent to preserve his college eligibility.

Moultrie was considered a potential first-round pick coming into the season by many scouts. A number of scouts and GMs believe he has the size, athleticism, quickness and skill level to be a legit NBA post player.

Oklahoma forward Tiny Gallon plans to enter the NBA Draft after just one season as a Sooner.

Gallon announced his decision Tuesday night in a statement released by the school.

It is not yet known whether Gallon has or will hire an agent.