"When I started this journey I said I would keep my options open for a return to UK. I am still pursuing my dream of playing in the NBA, but I have not closed any doors."
That's not good news for Kentucky fans hoping that Meeks will be back next year.
Meeks said his pre-draft evaluations indicated he could go anywhere from the middle of the first round or as low as early second round depending on his workouts and what other players stayed in the draft. He even admitted it "has been interesting" to read speculation that he would not even be drafted.
However, he says one NBA general manager told him he would be a "better player in the NBA than I was at college" and said another one told him he could be a "big scorer" in the NBA.
While mock drafts are pure speculation after the top picks, some projections have put Meeks into the first round. If that happens, he's bound for the NBA or he would still not be going through this process.
Unlike UK teammate Patrick Patterson, who decided early that his heart was at Kentucky, Meeks' heart and head are telling him the NBA is where he wants to play if he can.
Foxsports.com's Jeff Goodman is among those who thinks Meeks is ready for the NBA now. He has his projected as the 26th pick in the first round by the Chicago Bulls.
"Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't understand why most people have Meeks so low," Goodman wrote Wednesday. "He's got decent size, can really shoot the ball and demanded as much attention as just about any player in the country this past season."
He does have size. He can really shoot. He did draw enormous attention last year because other than Patterson, he was UK's only consistent scoring threat and was the only outside scoring threat. He's also never been a problem off the court - even though problems don't stop teams from using draft picks.
The knock on Meeks has been his ballhandling because his defense did dramatically improve last year.
Some close to Meeks insist he's going to stay in the draft if he's assured he'll be a high second-round pick because he's even more convinced now that he can play with the world's best players.
If he's a first-round pick, it's a no-brainer for Meeks. Take the money and enjoy the life. But a second-round pick has no guarantees and that could be a risky move.
Meeks indicated on his site that he would make a decision prior to the deadline for removing his name from the draft to retain his collegiate eligibility. However, his words and workouts certainly seem to indicate that he's looking more for reasons to stay in the draft than to take his name out.
