Two-time all-SEC center Mario Austin dropped out of school, went to California and signed with an agent earlier this week.
This decision comes almost one year to the date of when Austin dropped out of classes to consider the NBA draft, but returned to Mississippi State University three weeks later. Austin made up the class work that he had missed in the summer to maintain his eligibility.
By signing with Bill Duffy, Austin ended the same NCAA eligibility that had been under fire at the beginning of the 2002-03 hoops season. Austin missed the Bulldogs first six games while NCAA officials investigated his high school transcript.
Austin returned to the MSU line-up with a season-high 28-point performance and led the team with nine rebounds against Xavier. He then helped the Dawgs win the school’s first SEC Western Division title since 1996 while averaging 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Duffy, who was a former NBA draft-pick of the Denver Nuggets in 1982, represented Yao Ming, J. Williams and Drew Gooden in the 2002 NBA draft.
Ming was picked first by the Houston Rockets, Williams was picked second by the Chicago Bulls, and Gooden was picked fourth by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Duffy was out of town Thursday and will not be available for comment until Monday.
Throughout the season Austin told reporters, coaches and teammates that he would return for his senior season. In The Clarion Ledger Tuesday, he cited economic needs as the primary factor of his decision.
Austin is one of four children in a one-parent household and his mother has been suffering diabetes-related complications.
The Mississippi State University athletic department has not made an announcement about Austin’s decision and does not plan to.
Head coach Rick Stansbury was out of town on recruiting trips this week and no other coaches or players were made accessible to the media.