Providence leading scorer Jamine Peterson going pro, but not to the NBA
photo. Providence College
Weeks past the deadline for early entries into the 2010 NBA Draft, Providence sophomore forward Jamine Peterson is going pro.
“After speaking to my family and my coaches, I came to this conclusion,” Peterson, a 6-6 Brooklyn native, told me on the phone just a few minutes ago.
After putting up 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season, “Greedy” was considering leaving early for the NBA, but initially decided to stay in school. So for him to change his mind today is curious to say the least, especially with reports coming out of Providence that Peterson was dismissed from the Friars program for undisclosed reasons. By leaving school now, Peterson would have to play overseas or in the D-League before becoming eligible for the 2011 NBA Draft.
When I asked Peterson and his adviser about the reports, his adviser said there was “some truth” to them, but added this was more Jamine’s decision than one that was made for him. Peterson says he’s already received offers from teams in Italy, Greece, Spain and France.
Providence coach Keno Davis said in a press release, “Jamine Peterson has been dismissed from the men’s basketball team for a violation of team rules. Jamine had a productive season in 2009-10. However, regardless of his athletic accomplishments, it is essential to the integrity of the program that every student-athlete meets the high standards and expectations we have at Providence College.”
“The (Providence) program is great; the coaches are great,” Peterson said. “I was just basically looking to go into the NBA Draft, but they had me going in the second round. I’m focused on doing what I have to be a first-rounder in next year’s Draft, and I think I can do that overseas.”
Peterson was one of college basketball’s most unlikely success stories of 2009-10. He wasn’t highly recruited coming out of Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass.), where he was overshadowed by teammate Michael Beasley, and redshirted the ’08-09 season at PC to improve his game. This season Greedy was the most productive frontcourt force in the Big East, as he and Luke Harangody were the only players in the conference to flirt with 20-and-10 averages.
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May 18th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
dagwaller says:
When people tell these kids, “You won’t be a first rounder,” is that like saying, “I don’t think you’ll get drafted at all”? Every year I hear about 60 “second rounders”.
May 18th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Lucas Shapiro says:
Woah, didn’t see this coming. Met Jamine this past summer and think he’s a good college player.
Not ready for the NBA at all…
May 18th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Lucas Shapiro says:
or any pro league..
May 18th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
dagwaller says:
Seriously, DraftExpress has him as something like the 30th best sophomore. That means that if the Draft allowed only sophomores this year, he would be a borderline pick for the first round. To say nothing of the freshmen, juniors, seniors, and international picks.
May 18th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Ko_Peso says:
I’m curious about the violation of team rules annoucement, especially seeing that dude is already gone. There was really no need to say that, even if it is true.
May 18th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
e says:
he will be fine overseas i have seen players 80% less talented make an overseas roster
May 20th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Jared Goodman says:
I live in Providence, RI. If you guys haven’t heard yet he was expelled. He and another student beat up a random student for no reason at all. The guy was beaten up extremely bad. Basically, Greedy Peterson is a douce bag who should not be given the least bit of respect. He’s a thug, period.
May 22nd, 2010 at 7:26 am
Matt says:
Jamine aka ‘Greedy’ was a pleasure to watch, both in person and on cable access in RI. The kid could board and score.
However, I’m posting here to otherwise defend him. Comment #7, Greedy wasn’t one of the 2 players who randomly beat up another student after a late night party. Those players, now gone, were Johnnie Lacy and James Still. Greedy was dismissed for unnamed reasons, but there is scuttlebut on the http://www.projo.com messageboards about what it was about.