Come back Thabeet

Maybe is a dangerous word. It offers doubt, yet at the same time, it offers hope.

And that's exactly what Hasheem Thabeet - currently slotted at No. 3 overall in NBADraft.net's latest mock draft - has done since UConn's season ended 10 days ago. He's given us hope.

All year long, Thabeet's entry into the draft seemed to be a forgone conclusion.

After UConn's "Senior Night," Thabeet was talking an awful lot like A.J. Price, Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie.

"Myself, I know I'm going to miss the guys," Thabeet said. "I've been around a great group of guys and I love them, you know, I'm going to miss them."

Following UConn's Final Four exit against Michigan State - where Thabeet despondently moped on the bench with a towel over his face - he didn't offer much insight as to any reason he'd come back.

"Winning," he said with a pause. "Maybe."

At first, we took that "maybe" as a "yeah, right." But with each passing day - as Blake Griffin, Eric Devendorf, Paul Harris, DeJuan Blair, James Johnson and the other underclassmen have already put their names into the NBA Draft - it somehow seems as though Thabeet is actually considering a return for his senior year.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. This has "Dumb and Dumber" written all over it. The chances that Thabeet will come back to UConn next season are still pretty slim. One in 100? More like one in a million.

But at the same time, Thabeet is "telling us there's a chance..."

Word is that he met with coach Jim Calhoun yesterday to discuss what suddenly appears to be a decision. Calhoun was likely fair in his advice to Thabeet - after the Michigan State loss he said, "I can't honestly look him in the eye and tell him he's not ready, because he is" - but we can't sure he covered all the bases.

That's where we come in. A group of Avon Old Farms high school students took the initiative by starting a Facebook group, "Hasheem Thabeet - Stay One More Year," which reached 3,406 members at press time. That's a start, and this column is the second step.

If you know Thabeet or happen to see the big fella on-campus today, give him a copy of this article. Make sure he reads it. And then make sure he reads it again, especially everything below. Here are all the reasons why Thabeet needs to stay at UConn:

NCAA Championship

You better believe the Huskies will be ranked No. 1 overall if Thabeet returns. A starting line-up of Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, Gavin Edwards and Thabeet will put UConn head and shoulders above the rest of college basketball. Thabeet will have a great chance to redeem himself from the heart-breaking Final Four loss he suffered as a junior, kind of like how Tyler Hansbrough did this season.

Blocked Shots Record

Thabeet is just 24 blocked shots behind Emeka Okafor's career-record at UConn. If Thabeet comes back, Okafor can kiss that mark goodbye. Perhaps even more important, Thabeet trails the NCAA all-time leader, Wojciech Mydra of Louisiana-Monroe (1999-2002), by 118 blocks. Barring any unforeseen events, that record will be shattered as well. Sounds pretty cool to me…

The No. 1 Pick

UConn has never had a No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, and with Griffin in the draft this season, that streak is certain to continue. If Thabeet comes back and refines his offensive game, he'd be the overwhelming favorite to be selected with the top pick in 2010. It doesn't get much sweeter than that, Hash, does it?

Charles Okwandu

Thabeet is Okwandu's role model. He needs to be around to see Okwandu succeed, to see him develop the same way Thabeet did. Money is money, it's just a piece of paper and nothing more. No NBA contract or signing bonus can replace the feeling of watching a young man like Okwandu mature in all facets - basketball, school, social life, etc. That's it's all about, man. That's what its all about.

Rookie Hazing

Let's not beat around the bush. Rookie hazing sucks. It's a time for bitter veterans to take out their frustration on first-year players by forcing them to carry gym bags, tying them around goal-posts and dragging them on the ground from the back of the team bus. Thabeet would much rather do that to incoming freshman Alex Oriakhi and Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel than be the victim of Malik Rose's wrath on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Girls

The NBA is a huge sausage fest. When's the next time Hasheem will be around 8,000 females aged 18-to-21-years-old within a few square miles? I rest my case.

After reading this Hasheem, I hope you realize the horrific mistake you'd be making by entering your name in this God forsaken draft. You have every reason to stay and practically no reason to go. By this point, it's a no-brainer.

Set up a press conference this week, Hasheem. And get on that podium, lean into the mic, and bellow those three magical words: One more year.