By RICHARD CROOME
Eagle Staff Writer

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Freshman center DeAndre Jordan's last game with Texas A&M is likely to have been a loss against his good friend Kevin Love and the UCLA Bruins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Jordan announced Wednesday that he will submit his name for the 2008 NBA draft but will not hire an agent, which would give him t he option of returning to A&M next season.

"I just want to test the waters and get a good feel for where I might be drafted," Jordan said.

Most experts predict Jordan will be a lottery pick with InsideHoops.com picking him to go fifth.

At least eight of the top 10 players on four prominent mock drafts are freshmen, many of whom have yet to declare for the draft. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin is on all the lists, but he said Wednesday that he intends to return to OU.

Players have until April 27 to declare for the NBA draft. Collegians who don't hire an agent can withdraw their name seven days before the June 26 draft to retain their NCAA eligiblity.

Jordan arrived at A&M as the nation's No. 8 overall recruit and the No. 2 center, second to Love. The 7-foot, 255-pounder averaged just 7.9 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Aggies, numbers well short of Love's 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

But Love says Jordan has tremendous potential as an NBA player.

"When he decides to go to the NBA, whenever that is, I think he's going to be a lock for a top-five pick," Love said. "He has the size, the athleticism, so I wish the best for him."

Jordan might have gone straight to the NBA from Houston Christian Life Center High School, but the NBA changed its draft rules the year before he graduated. Players must attend college for one year before being eligible for the draft.

Jordan, along with a handful of other freshmen this season, has been considered a "one-and-done" player since arriving in Aggieland. One mock draft had him going as high as No. 3 early in the season.

Jordan's best game as an Aggie was against Rice, when he went 7 for 10 from the floor and finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

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