Colorado guard Alec Burks will give up his final two years of eligibility to declare for the NBA draft.
Burks, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, said today he will leave the school to turn pro.

"I was really excited about coming back (to CU) until yesterday," Burks said. "I wasn't ready to give up the college experience. But I talked to a lot of people.

"I thought about (the possibility of an NBA owners) lockout," Burks said. "But it's a risk-reward. The NBA has been a dream of mine."

Burks led the Big 12 in scoring at 20.5 points per game.

Colorado sophomore guard Alec Burks said he plans to make a decision on whether to enter the draft by Wednesday or Thursday.

"It's a big decision," Burks said. "I love college. I love being out there with the guys. You only get one chance at college. But the NBA would be fulfilling a dream. It would be a great feeling to play against the best every night."

Burks said if he gets an indication he likely will be selected among the top 15 picks, he is gone.

"If they say I'm probably going 18th or toward the end of the first round, I can stay in school and become a top-10 (for the 2012 draft)," Burks said. "If it's 15th, I'll put my name in the draft so I can work (in tryouts with NBA teams) to get my name higher than that. It's a tough decision. But 15 is the highest I'd decide to go."

Alec Burks has already enrolled for summer school classes and even has his fall schedule set up at Colorado.

The Buffs` sophomore star is also heading back home to Grandview, Mo., today to discuss with his mother the possibility of leaving school early for a lucrative job in the NBA.

"It would mean the world to me," Burks said of playing in the NBA. "Growing up, you dream about it. And most people don`t get to live that dream. For me to have a chance to try and get that is lovely."

On the other hand, Burks is very close with CU teammates Shannon Sharpe and Andre Roberson. He would also like the opportunity to play in thePac-12 and the NCAA Tournament.

"The reasons I would come back is I like playing college basketball, I like being at Colorado, you only get this chance to be in college once," Burks said. "I'd like to experience it to the fullest and play another year with Shannon and Dre. They're my two dudes, I hang around them all the time, and those are the reasons why I'd come back."

Colorado's Alec Burks -- whom one assistant general manager thinks could also play some point guard in the NBA -- has a mid-range game that is a rarity among guards these days.

"What he'll have to work on is to be a threat at the 3-point line so the rest of his game will be just as effective," a Southeast Division personnel man said. "He's good at the one-two [dribble] and pull up, and he's good at the rim. He scores with trickery and not with the bounce. He doesn't have that last dribble like Jason Richardson, where he just takes a step and he's going to dunk on anybody. (But) when the shot clock is going down and all the coaches are yelling 'red!,' you can get the ball to Alec Burks, and he's going to manuever and get a shot. And that's highly valued in the NBA."

Scouts are less than impressed with Burks’ defense.

"He has no interest," the first Northwest scout said of Burks. "He won't go under, through, or behind (screens). He's got some issues. But we draft on talent, and he's very talented. He'll have the ball and he'll break you down. In space, he's (tough) ... great upside if he's willing to work. Something tells me (the work ethic) is not off the charts because he hasn't worked on his body at all. But the holes in his game are fixable."

Wichita State defeated Alabama by a 66-57 final to win the 2011 National Invitational Tournament. Wichita State shot 50.0% from the floor against one of the best defensive teams in the country in the Crimson Tide.

Graham Hatch of Wichita State was named Tournament MVP.

Wichita State defeated Washington State by a final of 75-44 to reach the championship.

• Click here to view box scores, stats and more information from the NIT.