USF Dominique Jones is leaving for NBA draft

USF junior guard Dominique Jones won't make it official until May 8, but he told Bulls coach Stan Heath on Saturday night that he's entering the NBA draft, pleased with what he's heard about his draft position in the weeks since his season ended.
"He's surveyed the situation and has decided this is what's best for him, and we support him," Heath said Sunday afternoon. "He's been a big part of our success here, and we're going to miss him. This gives us a good leg up in terms of what we can do in recruiting. Nobody is going to fill his shoes, but we'll find someone who can contribute for us."
Jones' father, Norman, said Sunday that Jones will not retain an agent until May 8, the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their name from the draft pool, just to guard against an injury or anything else that would hurt his draft status. But Jones said his son is confident he'll be able to be a first-round draft pick, which carries with it a guaranteed NBA contract -- he would be USF's first-ever first-round pick if that were the case.