Darius Bazley is a long, skilled, athletic forward with a soft touch who, until a month ago, was expected to be one of the best freshmen in college basketball next season. A senior at Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Bazley signed a letter of intent last summer to play for Coach Jim Boeheim at Syracuse University.
But by the time the McDonald’s All-American Game rolled around on March 28, Bazley, 17, was reconsidering his options. And the day after the game, Bazley stunned many observers by announcing he would forgo college and head directly to the N.B.A.’s development league.