Yesterday was a big day for lottery teams in terms of the draft?s depth, with Chinese center Yao Ming and Kansas forward Drew Gooden both announcing that they will be in the NBA next season.  Both players are expected to be taken in the first five picks.

Ming could very well be the most intriguing player in the draft.  At seven feet six inches tall he recently helped his home team the Shanghai Sharks win the Chinese national championship, a desire which caused him to bypass on the NBA draft last year when some projected him to be the first overall pick.

"Yao Ming opened the door to the NBA and he deserved the chance to play there. The club and the Chinese Basketball Management Center allow him to go to the NBA this season," said Sharks Club director Bai Li.

"The club hopes to get some good American players if Yao goes away. And it will be better if the team which chooses Yao will help us to set up a training base in America, so we can send our coaches and players there every year. We also hope some the NBA teams like to play matches in Shanghai," added Li Yaomin.

Back in America on Friday afternoon Kansas forward Drew Gooden also made his decision to come to the NBA official.

"There was a stretch where everything clicked for me. It seemed the game became easier. It's when I knew I was one of the top players in the country. Basically I took it from there and came up with the decision I thought I was ready," said Gooden in reference to a stretch between Jan 23 and Feb 24 when he scored 20 or more points in 8 of 10 games.

"My decision basically was set on positioning in the draft ? what a lot of scouts have been saying and what coach Williams has been saying," Gooden said. "It's a dream of mine so close to coming true. I want it so bad.?

"A couple (NBA officials) said he'd go 7 or 8 ? the general consensus is lower than that," KU coach Roy WIlliams said. "There were not any negatives whatsoever. It's one of those nice things either you'll be rich or you'll be real rich."

"I will always be a Jayhawk in my heart," Gooden finished.

.Still craving more draft?

Qyntel Woods will spend the next six weeks in Washington working out with former NBA great Adrian Dantley in preparation for the NBA Draft, Gary Parish is reporting.  The former Northeast Mississippi Community College star admitted to Jerry Dover Memorial Classic director Stanley Blue that he has never really worked out, and that he was going to get into shape before the draft.

"I thought it would be good, since (Woods) is young, to align him with a 16-year NBA veteran," said Wood?s agent Bill Strickland, who has been representing the Carver High graduate for about a week. "I just thought it would be a good alignment to have Qyn work with a veteran like Adrian."

Woods has been projected as a lottery pick by most analysts, but because of his guard skills with a 6-9 frame some have him mentioned as a possible top five selection.

Woods does not plan on participating in the pre-draft camps, instead focusing on private workouts with teams.