DRAFT DODGER: ELEY RETURNING FOR FINAL SEASON AT SE

Bud Eley is flattered by all the attention he's been receiving from the National Basketball Association, but he believes one more year of college hoops will do him a world of good.

Primarily for that reason, Eley told the Southeast Missourian Wednesday that he was withdrawing his name from the NBA draft and plans to use up his final season of eligibility at Southeast Missouri State University.

"I just think it's best for me to play my last year," he said. "I think it will really help me improve and help me out a lot for next year with the NBA."

Eley, the Indians' 6-foot-10, 260-pound center, entered Southeast as a Proposition 48 student-athlete four years ago, allowing him just three seasons of eligibility. But under a fairly new NCAA rule, he can regain the year of eligibility he lost if he graduates by the end of this summer.

Since Eley needs to take just one summer class and finish up an internship in order to receive his criminal justice degree, being eligible next season should be no problem.

"I'm looking forward to coming back to Cape, going to summer school and then playing next season," said Eley from his home town of Detroit, where he has spent the past several days after participating in the NBA's pre-draft camp in Chicago last Tuesday through Sunday.

Eley had a solid showing at the pre-draft camp, which featured nearly 70 of the top prospects for the upcoming NBA draft.

In addition to undergoing several days of physical tests, the players were split up into six teams and every team played three games over a three-day period.

Under the watchful eyes of virtually every NBA coach, general manager and scouting director, Eley scored 28 points, pulled down 16 rebounds and blocked eight shots in the three games. He hit 11 of 17 shots from the field and six of seven free throws.

"I had a lot of fun and it was a really good experience for me," said Eley. "I got to play against a lot of the guys I've seen on TV over the years and I saw coaches like Larry Bird, Del Harris, every coach in the NBA you can think of."

Chris Ekstrand, an NBA employee who edits the league's draft guide, said Eley generally performed well during the pre-draft camp.

"He played pretty well. I wouldn't say he was one of the standouts, but he wasn't one of the lesser guys. He was probably somewhere in the middle," said Ekstrand. "When he got the ball he was able to score. He used his body well around the basket and he shot very well."

Of Eley's decision to play a final season of college basketball, Ekstrand said, "It's a great move for him because he wasn't going to go in the first round. I'm sure somebody would have picked him in the second round, but if you're not going to be a first-rounder, you're a lot better off going back to school."

Ekstrand said Eley definitely helped his stock with his camp showing and will be a player to watch next season.

"Every coach, general manager and scouting director saw him play. That exposure can do nothing but help him as he goes to play another year of college," Ekstrand said. "If you're a player who's good enough to get invited to this camp, you're definitely on the map, and for a guy like Bud, from a small conference, it's really important for him."

Eley has been the Ohio Valley Conference's top center the past three seasons, averaging more than 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. But he played only 11 games last season because of a variety of foot injuries.

One of the reasons Eley was happy to participate in the camp, in addition to getting all the exposure, was to show people that his feet are fine.

"We got checked out by all kinds of doctors and trainers and everybody said my feet are healed," he said. "I feel good. I haven't had any kinds of setbacks with me feet."

Eley said at one time he seriously considered coming out for the draft, but after talking to a variety of NBA people at the camp, he decided to return to school.

"I gave it some serious thought," he said. "But a lot of the coaches and general managers I talked to said another year of school would be really good for me. Most of them were really surprised that I've only played about five years of organized basketball.

"They said I was in a great situation, that I could go a lot higher (in the draft) next year if I came back to school."

Eley said he's already excited about the prospects of the 1998-99 season for the Indians.

"We've got so many guys coming back and we've got some really good new players. We should have a really good season," he said.

* Former Cairo (Ill.) High standout Tyrone Nesby also performed well during the pre-draft camp.

Nesby, a 6-6 forward who this year completed an impressive two-season career at Nevada-Las Vegas after transferring from junior college, scored 34 points in three games.

As a Cairo senior, Nesby was a high school All-American and one of the country's top collegiate prospects.