Stanford's Josh Childress signs with an agent

Josh Childress, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward from Stanford and second team College Basketball News' All-American, has hired an agent and will not return to school. Childress will formally announce his intention to turn pro in a teleconference Friday. Childress, who was Pac-10 Player of the Year, hired Lon Babby and Jim Tanner of Williams & Connolly. They represent NBA standouts such Tim Duncan, Shane Battier and Grant Hill.

Josh Childress, who missed the season's first nine games with an injury to his left foot, averaged 15.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game. Childress has been projected as a top ten pick in the June 24 NBA Draft and has been mentioned as high as the fourth pick by Charlotte.

"I really cherished my years here at Stanford. But I owe it to myself," he told the AP in March of his decision to forgo his senior season. "I put myself in the position to see where I stand and hopefully (fans) understand that. I want to see how I stack up against the other players."

Childress said he would would likely complete his sociology degree at Stanford at a later point.

Childress is the third starter who will not return next season. They also lose starting power forward Justin Davis and starting shooting guard Matt Lottich and reserve forward Joe Kirchofer. The Cardinal won their first 26 games last season and finished the regular season ranked #1 with a 29-1 record. They were upset in the second round of the NCAA tournament by Alabama and finished the season 30-2.

Stanford head coach Mike Montgomery left the school after 18 seasons as head coach to become the new coach of the Golden State Warriors. He was replaced by Nevada's Trent Johnson, a former Stanford assistant last week.

Childress is a versatile player with a long wingspan. The Pac-10 Player of the Year is a good ballhandler and passer for his size. He does a good job on getting to the hoop and has a nice outside shot. Childress needs to add bulk. He reminds some observers of Tayshaun Prince.