RALEIGH - N.C. State freshman J.J. Hickson will enter his name in the NBA Draft this year and go through the process without hiring an agent, Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe said after his weekly radio show Monday.

"He'll test the waters," Lowe said. "He'll get all the information he can and decide what's the best thing. It may depend on where he's going in the draft."

Hickson, a 6-foot-9, 242-pound power forward, led N.C. State in scoring (14.8 points per game) and rebounding (8.5). An all-ACC freshman team selection, the former McDonald's All-American said after N.C. State's ACC Tournament loss to Miami he would talk with his family and Lowe and make a decision on his future.

Hickson had 27 points and 14 rebounds in State's 63-50 loss to the Hurricanes.

A college underclassmen can go through the draft process, get an evaluation from NBA personnel and retain his eligibility if he does do not hire an agent. Underclassmen have until April 27 to declare for the draft and then can withdraw by June 16.

"If I'm not where I want to be in the draft, then I'll come back and start all over again," Hickson said Thursday after the Miami loss.

Lowe, who spent 15 seasons in the NBA as an assistant coach and head coach, said Monday he will help Hickson gather information from his NBA contacts.

First-round picks receive guaranteed two-year contracts. There are no guarantees, either for a roster spot or contract, for second-round picks. One Internet mock draft, nbadraft.net, has Hickson projected as the last pick, No. 30, in the first round.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.