May 3, 2004

LAS VEGAS - UNLV junior forward Odartey Blankson has declared himself eligible for the 2004 NBA Draft that will be held on June 24 in New York City. Blankson indicated that he will not hire an agent at this point, therefore keeping open the possibility of returning to UNLV for his senior season in 2004-05. Players must decide by June 17 whether to stay eligible for the draft or return to college.

"With the rules the way they are, this is an opportunity to test the waters," said Blankson. "However, I am leaving my options open to return to UNLV because it is a great situation here. I am looking forward to competing against the top guys out there and seeing where I stand. If I can impress enough to get in a good position then this is a good decision. If not, I will be in a good position to come back and finish my career at UNLV."

"We understand Odartey's desire to see what opportunities exist," said UNLV head coach Lon Kruger. "We have confidence that everything will work out in Odartey's best interest in the long run."

Blankson, who transferred to UNLV from Marquette, sat out the 2002-03 season at UNLV because of NCAA transfer rules, and played for the Runnin' Rebels this past season. He led UNLV in scoring and rebounding with 17.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, respectively. He led the Mountain West Conference in rebounding and was third in scoring.

Blankson was selected first team All-MWC, All-District VIII (USBWA) and second team All-District 15 (NABC). He was selected as the MWC Player of the Week on March 8.