Iowa's McCaffery expects Jok to return

Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery said Thursday he expects Peter Jok to be back in a Hawkeye uniform next season.

Jok, a junior, announced Wednesday he was going to test the NBA waters and go through an evaluation process that includes a scouting combine in May. A new NCAA rule allows players to take this step without damaging eligibility.

'Pete is very intelligent with his approach,' McCaffery said in a teleconference. 'He's going to figure it out ... the prevailing feeling is he's going to come back and do it again next year.'

If Jok impresses the scouts enough to earn a spot in the draft, McCaffery would support that, too.

'I'm 100 percent behind it,' he said. 'It's my desire to make sure (all players) get' to the NBA.

If Jok is told he'd be a late second-round pick, at best, with no guarantees, McCaffery said he would encourage Jok to return to Iowa City. But he said that would be a 'personal' decision.

'I don't think he would go and I don't think he should go,' McCaffery said.

Jok said in a statement Thursday he simply wants to take advantage of this opportunity.

'For me, this whole process is for experience to see how it all works and then return to work on my game,' he said. 'It's comforting having the support of Coach McCaffery and (the) staff. Coach will continue to be a valuable resource for me during this process.

'If it's not the right time for me to make the move to the NBA, I'm excited about returning and leading our team next season.'

McCaffery, too, thinks this will make Jok a better player and give him a better opportunity at the NBA after his senior year.

'I think it's an intelligent move on his part,' McCaffery said.

McCaffery said Jok. who averaged 16.1 points this past season, made himself an 'elite' player as junior. He hopes Jok will return and lead the Big Ten in scoring next season.

'He's in a group of guys who can legitimately put his name in' the evaluation process, McCaffery said.

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