Seton Hall's Whitehead would turn pro with 1st-round guarantee

The chances of Isaiah Whitehead returning to Seton Hall seem to be growing slimmer by the day.

The 6-foot-4 guard is at the NBA Combine in Chicago, and dominated Thursday's scrimmage, scoring 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting and adding five assists. It was a performance worthy of a first-round pick, and if that's guaranteed, Whitehead would turn professional.

"Oh yeah, 100 percent" the Pirates star told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. "You can't give up opportunities like that. I mean, when they tell you it's your time to go, you just gotta go."

While the loss of its leading scorer would hurt Seton Hall in the upcoming season, Whitehead sounded sure his decision would be met with support from the school.

"Anybody at Seton Hall would have to agree with me," Whitehead said. "Whey they tell you that you're a first-round pick, you can't turn that down."

The Brooklyn native burst onto the national scene in his sophomore season, scoring 18.2 points per game and adding 5.1 assists, helping to lead the Pirates to a 25-9 record and a Big East Tournament title.

While the NBA process can be a major shock to young players, Whitehead has had the guidance of a couple current players to assist him.

"I talk to Lance Stephenson a lot about the process," Whitehead said. "I talk to Sebastian (Telfair). I have a lot of people to talk to just because they came from my neighborhood and they went through the process."

With the combine finishing up this weekend, a strong performance by Whitehead will likely lead to a decision well before the May 25 deadline.