Chris Murray

cmurray@rgj.com

Cameron Oliver, the high-flying big man who helped return Nevada to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade, hasn't officially hired an agent but plans on doing so, which would end his time in silver and blue.

The website, DraftExpress.com, has Oliver listed as having hired agent Todd Ramasar of Life Sports Management. Oliver told the Reno Gazette-Journal via text Thursday afternoon that he hasn't hired an agent yet but intends to do so.

College players can test the NBA draft without hiring an agent and return to school before the withdraw deadline of June 12. But if they do hire an agent at any point, the are unable to return to school. Oliver used that first path last season before returning to school for his sophomore season. He is poised to take the second route this time around.

If he does stay in the draft, as planned, Oliver would become the third Wolf Pack sophomore to enter the NBA draft. The others were JaVale McGee, the No. 18 pick in the 2008 draft, and Luke Babbitt, the No. 16 pick in 2010. Both are still in the league.

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The 6-foot-8, 235-pound Oliver averaged 16 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks last year and was voted first-team All-Mountain West by the media and second team by the coaches. The media named him the MW defensive player of the year. Oliver shot 46.5 percent from the field, including 38.4 percent from three, and blocked 91 shots, which ranked ninth in the nation.

Oliver is largely seen as a second-round pick, although he could boost his stock at next month’s NBA combine or in pre-draft workouts. NBAdraft.net has Oliver going 42nd overall to the Utah Jazz. DraftExpress.com has Oliver going 47th overall to the Milwaukee Bucks. ESPN’s latest first-round mock draft doesn’t include Oliver, who offers excellent athleticism, rim protection and is an improved shooter.

First-round picks are guaranteed a two-year contract at minimum. Second-round picks get no such guarantees, although it has become more common for second-round picks to stick on NBA rosters after the league expanded to 15 players per team.

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Oliver, who grew up in Oakland and Sacramento, was a four-star recruit out of high school who originally committed to Oregon State, although he never played for the Beavers following a coaching change. After sitting out his first season after high school, Oliver debuted for Nevada last year, putting together one of the best freshman seasons in program history (he averaged 13.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.6 bpg).

After testing the draft waters last season, Oliver showed a more diverse offensive game as a sophomore, hitting 66 3-pointers. He had a strong showing in Nevada’s NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa State, tallying 22 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

Oliver is one of the most dynamic players in Wolf Pack history. He reached the 1,000-point barrier in only two seasons, becoming the fifth Nevada player to do so by the conclusion of his sophomore season, and has 190 career blocks, the third most in school history. His 99 blocks as a freshman was a single-season record at Nevada. He helped the Wolf Pack go from nine wins the year before his arrival to 24 during his freshman season and 28 last year.

Oliver, who became a father in December, would be the sixth Wolf Pack player to enter the NBA draft before his college eligibility expired if he does turn pro this offseason. He would join McGee, Babbitt, Kirk Snyder, Armon Johnson and Ramon Sessions, all of whom were drafted.

Oliver’s departure would open an additional scholarship for Nevada this offseason – giving Nevada three remaining – but also leave it without much size. Of the team’s 10 scholarship players on the roster, none would be taller than 6-foot-7. The Wolf Pack is a finalist for 6-foot-10 center Malik Ondigo, a three-star high school recruit who visited Nevada last week. Ondigo is visiting Texas Tech this weekend and will pick a school after that.