Rick Pitino met with the media on Friday afternoon to preview Saturday’s conference match-up with the North Carolina Tarheels. Towards the end of the press conference Pitino was asked about Terry Rozier’s draft stock improving after playing extremely well in the month of January.

After explaining that NBA teams don’t pay any attention to the mock drafts that are assembled by the so called experts, Pitino then went on to rave about Rozier’s pro potential. He also made it pretty clear that he doesn’t think the sophomore guard should return to school for his junior season.

“Terry has all the things the pro’s like,” Pitino told the media. “I can’t tell you how many times I tell people, they say, ‘If we can get Terry to come back,’ and I said, ‘he’s not coming back, will you just start looking at the future recruits? He’s not coming back.’ And they keep saying, ‘Do you think there’s a chance he comes back?. He’s not coming back.”

Despite being one of the best guards in the country this season, Rozier’s draft stock hasn’t soared like most would’ve expected. DraftExpress.com has Rozier going in the second round with the 34th overall pick. NBAdraft.net projects Rozier as the 17th pick.

To my understanding there are some concerns about Rozier playing point guard at the next level. As well as he’s played recently, Rozier has had success being a big time scorer. I imagine they (NBA GM’s) want to see him be more of a distributor. At 6-foot-1, Rozier will likely play point guard at the next level.

“Terry has mimicked D-Wade so much I think sometimes he thinks he is,” Pitino said. “Terry can run the pick and roll well. In the NBA you really have 16 seconds to run an offense so you got to get in the lane and create and Terry is a creator with good size. He’s also a very good athlete, a good defensive player, he’s a willing passer and acts like a pro. Once they interview him I think his stock is really going to be high.”

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