Sooley

With the basketball season over, Samuel and Murray move back into the dorm. They’ve grown tired of Ida and Ernie’s “bothersome expectations” and want to take advantage of their newfound celebrity status with girls on campus (320).

Samuel must decide his future in the next few days. NCAA rules dictate that if he declares for the NBA draft and signs with an agent, he will not be able to return to play in college, even if he is not drafted. His coaches at NC Central think he is NBA-ready and encourage him to enter the draft, but Murray’s parents think it is a bad idea. They think he should finish school first, and that he is too young and not mature enough for the transition. Ecko also prefers that Samuel stay in school but acknowledges he cannot ignore the money in front of him. Samuel even talks to Niollo, the NBA player from Sudan, who also tells him he must enter the draft while his stock is this high. Samuel does not talk to his own mother about the decision, feeling it would all overwhelm her.

As Samuel tries to find a potential agent, he and Murray meet with Reynard to discuss signing with Arnie Savage.