Hoyas' Green, Hibbert Declare for NBA Draft

Roy Hibbert is keeping open the possibility of coming back to school by not signing with an agent. (Jonathan Newton - The Post)

The questions have followed Georgetown juniors Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert since they returned home from the Final Four; Green estimates that he gets asked 15 times a day, "Are you going to the NBA?" or, "Are you coming back?"

Yesterday, the two all-Big East players took the first step toward forgoing their final seasons of college eligibility by submitting their names for the NBA draft. But they also left open the possibility of returning.

Neither player will hire an agent before the early entry withdrawal deadline, which is June 18, 10 days before the draft. Both players are enrolled in classes and said they are on track to graduate on time next year.

"I'm just exploring my options and investigating, seeing what people have to say," Hibbert said. "If I do the workouts and choose to come back, then I'll know what I need to work on to go to the next level."

"It doesn't change anything," Green said. "I'm going to wait and see. I'm not trying to force anything, I'm not going to go right into the draft. I'm taking it day by day."

The next step for Green and Hibbert will be working out for NBA teams in June. Neither player is expected to attend the pre-draft camp May 29-June 4 in Orlando. Individual workouts can be held after the camp.

Green, a 6-foot-9 forward, and Hibbert, a 7-2 center, are both projected to be lottery picks but this will be a deep, talented draft. The first two picks are widely expected to be freshmen Kevin Durant of Texas and Greg Oden of Ohio State, although Durant is the only one of the two to have already declared for the draft. Also, four juniors from Florida's two-time national championship team, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Taurean Green, have declared for the draft.

Green and Hibbert helped lead the Hoyas (30-7) to their first sweep of the Big East regular season and tournament championships since 1989 and their first Final Four appearance since 1985. Georgetown's top 10 players are all eligible to return next season.

Green, the Big East player of the year, as well as the most outstanding player of the Big East tournament and NCAA East Region, is a favorite of NBA scouts because of his versatility and basketball intelligence.

He averaged a team-high 14.3 points and was second in rebounds (6.4) and assists (3.2). Green, who was an All-Met at Northwestern, made three game-winning shots this season, but took just five shots and scored only nine points in the Hoyas' national semifinal loss to Ohio State.

Hibbert has steadily improved since coming to Georgetown from nearby Georgetown Prep. He averaged 12.9 points while shooting 67 percent and led the Hoyas in rebounding (6.9) and blocked shots (2.4) this past season. Against Ohio State and Oden, Hibbert had 19 points and six rebounds.

Both players have said throughout their careers that they intended to stay at Georgetown for four seasons and earn their degrees. Yesterday, neither one would say what would need to happen for him to leave early. Each one plans on making his decision independent of his teammate.

"We're two different players; we've had different experiences," Green said. "We haven't talked too much about it."

But Hibbert regularly talks to Chicago Bulls forward Michael Sweetney, who left Georgetown following his junior season and was the ninth pick of the 2003 draft. Hibbert said Sweetney advised him to explore all possibilities, but to make sure that he stays on top of his classwork so he can return to school.

As for all the questions they've been facing, Green figures that it will get more intense now that he and Hibbert have officially declared for the draft.

"I give everyone the same answer," Green said. " 'I don't know. I'm still looking forward to coming back next year.' "