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 sit down and talk with his family and Lowe and make a decision about his future.

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

Lowe said he would help gather the information for Hickson, using his many contacts in the NBA. Lowe played and coached in the NBA.

Since Hickson does not plan to not hire an agent, he will leave open the possibility of returning to NCSU for his sophomore season.

NBA scouts are reluctant to publicly comment on underclassmen. Some of those who have seen him play say privately that his body, skill level, work ethic and potential probably would make him a first-round selection.

In an interview late last month, Hickson said he thought he was ready for the NBA, saying, "I think I can do a lot of things."