Butler to Test Draft Waters

Jackie Butler will indeed test the waters to see if he will be a first-round pick in the NBA draft. If the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center does not project as a first-round pick, he will remove his name from the draft and enroll at Tennessee.

Chris Low of the Tennessean Newspaper reported that Butler informed the Tennessee staff through his Coastal Christian Academy coach of his decision on Tuesday.

Basically, Butler is making certain that the NBA is aware that he wants to turn pro if he projects as a first round pick.

''When we signed Jackie, the agreement we had with his mom was that he should look seriously at the NBA if he were going to be a first-round pick,'' Tennessee assistant head coach Chris Ferguson told Chris Low of the Tennessean. ''This is just a way for Jackie to get a better read on where he would go in the draft. He's had a couple scouts tell him that he was probably a late first-round or early second-round pick, but nobody thinks he's serious about coming out. He hasn't been included in any of the mock drafts. This way, he shows them that he is serious. If he's not projected where he wants to be, he'll come to Tennessee.''