UCLA'S AFFLALO WILL RETURN NEXT SEASON JUNIOR GUARD BYPASSES NBA DRAFT.

Byline: JILL PAINTER Staff Writer

Arron Afflalo decided the NBA can wait.

The UCLA guard officially withdrew his name from the draft Saturday, just 24 hours before the deadline, and will stay in school. Afflalo, who will be a junior this season, did not sign with an agent in order to retain his eligibility.

His teammate, point guard Jordan Farmar, has yet to announce a decision. Farmar has until 2p.m. today to remain in the NBA draft or return to UCLA.

Afflalo worked out for the Lakers, Clippers, Chicago, Cleveland and Indiana. He said some teams figured he was a first- rounder and others though he was a second-rounder.

``It was very hard for teams to guarantee anything this early,'' Afflalo said. ``It definitely wasn't worth jeopardizing the great situation I'm in. It was definitely a good process.''

As sophomores, Afflalo and Farmar guided UCLA's run to the NCAA title game, in which the Bruins lost to Florida. Afflalo, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, led the Bruins in scoring at 15.8 points per game and minutes at 33.8.

Afflalo is known for his defensive ability and intensity. He said he received feedback on a few things NBA teams would like him to improve upon.

``They'd like to see me create a little more off the dribble and dribble a little more,'' Afflalo said.

There could be more opportunity for Afflalo to work on his ballhandling skills if Farmar stays in the draft, although sophomore Darren Collison would become the point guard.

``It's obviously a great thing for UCLA basketball,'' Bruins coach Ben Howland said of Afflalo's decision. ``I look forward to having him continue his career at UCLA. I think he's going to get better and better. There's no doubt he'll be in the NBA someday. It's a matter of when, not if.''

Afflalo and Howland kept in touch during the decision-making process and Howland said he and Farmar have done the same. It was a hard decision for Afflalo, much more difficult than he anticipated. After the season was over, he said he'd probably return.

Then he made himself eligible for the draft and used nearly every hour to make his decision.

``People asked about the negative things, but I got a lot of positive feedback,'' Afflalo said. ``As far as the money goes, it was never about the money.''

Howland will have a much clearer idea of what his 2006-07 team will look like once Farmar makes his decision.

Afflalo had not talked to Farmar about his plans, but he hopes Farmar follows his lead.

``You'd love to see your teammate back,'' Afflalo said. ``That's pretty obvious. He was a part in turning this program around. He has to make the best decision for him.''

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