Varnado Declares For Draft

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.”