Mississippi State All-SEC forward Jarvis Varnado has declared himself eligible for the 2009 NBA draft, but will leave the door open to return for his senior year by not hiring an agent.

This past season as a junior, the 6-foot-9, 210-pound Brownsville, Tenn., native started a school-record 36 games and averaged a team-high 12.9 points and 8.8 boards in leading the Bulldogs to a 23-13 ledger and a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

?I just want to test the water to see where I stand,? said Varnado, who led the nation with 170 blocks, an SEC single-season record, and has 394 for his career. ?I?m not going to hire an agent so I can have an opportunity to return.?

Phenom scorer Stephen Curry from Davidson will announce his decision as to whether he's entering the NBA draft or staying in school on Thursday, the Associated Press is reporting.

The school has called a late-morning news conference at its athletic complex. Curry and his father, former NBA player Dell Curry, will attend along with Davidson coach Bob McKillop.

Not even Dell knows what Stephen is going to do, telling ESPN.com's Andy Katz Wednesday night that his son would tell him Thursday morning before the news conference whether he would declare for the NBA draft.

Tennessee forward Tyler Smith has entered his name into the NBA Draft, but by not hiring an agent he has left the door open for a return to school, the Associated Press is reporting.

"Playing in the NBA has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to come to Tennessee and grow as a basketball player and as a man," Smith said in a statement Wednesday. "Two seasons with coach [Bruce] Pearl and his staff have helped me move closer to my goal of playing professional basketball at the highest level."

During the 2008-09 season, Smith led the team with an average 17.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. He also grabbed an average 5.8 rebounds per game and led the team with 76 percent free-throw shooting.

"Tyler has earned this opportunity to test the waters," Pearl said. "This is absolutely the right thing to do. Tyler did not choose to work out last season because you can only take advantage of this opportunity one time. He did not feel he was close enough to being a first-rounder a year ago.

From next season early entrants to the NBA draft will get more than a month less time to decide whether to remain in the draft or return to school, Steve Wieberg from USA Today is reporting.

An NCAA panel voted Monday to compress the time frame, giving non-seniors who enter the draft until May 8 to decide whether to keep their names in the pool or resume their college careers.

No longer will draft entrants who go unpicked have the option of returning to the college game. The NCAA had given them until 30 days after the draft ? until late July ? to declare their intent to return to school.

The NCAA's new deadline is designed, in part, to settle team rosters and give coaches time to replace departed players before the spring signing period expires. Prospects can sign letters of intent this year until May 20.

Freshman Tyreke Evans will enter his name in the NBA draft, but he will not hire an agent and has not closed the door on a return to Memphis, the Associated Press is reporting.

"I am pursuing what has been a dream of mine for a long time, and that is to play someday in the NBA," Evans said in a school-issued news release. "I am thankful to Coach [Josh] Pastner and my family and friends for their support.

"I am putting my name in the draft and see what happens. I will attend some workouts and see what feedback I receive. Once I have all the information available to me, I will sit down with my family and talk about what's the next step to take -- either to remain in the NBA draft or return for another season of college basketball here at Memphis."

The FBI is investigating an alledged extortion attempt against Louisville coach Rick Pitino, according to a report by USA Today.

The allegations became public late Saturday when Pitino and the university issued a statement that did not give details. Pitino said he reported the matter to the FBI last month.

The Associated Press reported Sunday that Karen Sypher, estranged wife of Louisville equipment manager Tim Sypher, is the one being investigated.

Pitino said in a statement Saturday night that he had planned to keep the matter private but was forced into action when the individual ? whom he did not name at the time ? decided to go to the media. The statement did not detail the nature of the threats.

"I recently learned that the individual behind this extortion attempt has already gone to the media with false, defamatory and outrageous allegations in an attempt to pressure me to cave in to this scheme," Pitino said.

Australian point guard Patrick Mills will test the NBA waters, but will not sign an agent to keep his options open, the Associated Press is reporting.

Mills, who plays for St. Marys in California, was the only collegiate player who play in the Olympics in 2008, impressing many in the United States camp with his speed and ability to get to the basket.

"It's a win-win situation for me," Mills said. "If I don't get all the feedback that I want or need, I come back for my third year."

New Florida International coach Isiah Thomas has admitted during an interview with the Associated Press that he was the person found unconscious by rescue workers after taking sleeping pills.

"Yeah, that had to be me," Thomas said. "I was asleep."

Officers who responded last Oct. 23 to Thomas' home after a 911 call reporting an overdose on sleeping pills found a man passed out on the floor and gave him oxygen until an ambulance arrived.

"On that day, my daughter and I were both in the hospital," Thomas said. "She went early in the afternoon, OK? I went later in the evening. When I woke up, there's a reporter on the other end and he said, 'Are you OK?' And I think I said, 'My daughter's in the hospital and no, we are not OK,' or something to that effect."

Thomas did not say what prompted his daughter to go to the hospital, but confirmed he was the person rescuers found that night.

Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody has declared for the NBA draft, ending the speculation about the talented big mans plans, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

He will not hire an agent, giving him the option of returning to school if his position is not where he'd like.

"I sat down with coach and we discussed factors that went into it and both thought and agreed this would be a good chance for me, with keeping my eligibility, to see where I stand," Harangody said. "Right now, as me and coach said, don?t think we're going into this thing 50 percent. We're going in full speed. We're not going into see if I need to improve on anything. We're going to go in to try and get this thing done."

Willie Warren confirmed that he will not declare for the NBA draft and will return to Oklahoma for his sophomore year.

"That's my decision," Warren said. "I'm staying."

The 6'4" Warren was one of the most talented freshman in the NCAA, putting up 14.6 points and 3.1 assists per game.