Did Shane Larkin hint he’s leaving Miami early to enter the NBA draft?
Miami point guard Shane Larkin has yet to formally announce if he'll remain in college or enter this June's NBA draft, but the heralded sophomore may have hinted at his decision Friday evening.
In a picture posted to his Instagram account, Larkin thanked his teammates and coaches for making this a special season. Miami lost to Marquette in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night, capping a season in which the Hurricanes won both the ACC regular season and tournament titles.
"Regardless of what future decisions I make this has honestly been the best year of my life," Larkin wrote. "Thank you to my teammates, coaches and most importantly all of the fans for the support. I will forever be grateful for every moment shared with you all. This season was magical and something I will remember for the rest of my life. Im blessed to be a Miami Hurricane and represent the U! Thank you!!!!"
It would be foolish to assume Larkin is definitely NBA-bound based a letter that is vague and doesn't specify his intents, but the tone in which it is written makes it feel like a goodbye.
Larkin averaged 14.5 points and 4.6 assists as a sophomore, making a strong case for himself as the nation's second-best point guard behind only Michigan's Trey Burke by the end of the season. His slight stature would be a concern for NBA scouts, but his outside shooting, quickness and decision making coming off ball screens are all assets that would make him a potential first-round pick.
About the only blight on Larkin's brilliant sophomore season was the way it ended.
A flu-ridden Larkin couldn't save cold-shooting Miami against Marquette, scoring 14 points but only taking eight shots in a game in which the Golden Eagles did everything possible to get the ball out of his hands. Larkin tried to take advantage of the double teams on ball screens by whipping the ball to teammates for open looks, but Miami's shooters were unable to knock down enough perimeter shots.
"They did a great job in guarding the ball screen," Larkin said Thursday night. "They were pretty much trapping me and trying to get the ball out of my hands, and it was frustrating not being able to attack it because they were trying to get it out of my hands. The several times I did try to attack it, they had great defense. They had a great game plan and they executed their game plan to a tee.
