As a middle school student, he played quarterback, receiver and safety in football. As he approaches the end of his sophomore season of college, Dwayne Bacon now looks to become a professional basketball player.
Florida State's leading scorer and star swingman made it official Wednesday. Bacon declared for the NBA Draft just four days after the Seminoles were eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
"Playing in the NBA is something I've always wanted to do," Bacon told a gathering of reporters at FSU's practice facility. "But coming about this decision was a discussion with my parents. A discussion with the coaching staff -- coach [Leonard Hamilton], coach [Charlton Young] -- it's really just the discussion that they just put it upon me that it's time to leave.
"I came back and got better in every aspect, so they feel like it was the best decision I had to make."
Bacon led FSU in scoring during his two seasons in Tallahassee. He averaged 15.8 points in his first season and, along with former shooting guard Malik Beasley (now with the Denver Nuggets), led the Seminoles to a 20-14 season that ended in the second round of the NIT.
While Bacon's athleticism and 6-foot-7 frame put him above many opposing players, there were still questions after his freshman year. He was a 28 percent 3-point shooter and despite shooting 44.7 percent from the field, Bacon lacked a consistent jump shot.
He initially declared for the NBA Draft last year but did not sign with an agent. Bacon would return for a second season, which proved to be one of the best in school history.
Bacon led the Seminoles to 26 wins, the second-most in program's history. He averaged 17.2 points while shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc and 45 percent from the floor. While attacking the rim is still his forte, Bacon began trusting his jumper more in his second season.
He helped FSU get off to a 6-1 start in Atlantic Coast Conference play by scoring 23 points in the opening conference game against Wake Forest. Bacon then scored 29, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in a 60-58 win at then-No. 12 Virginia on Dec. 31.
There were times when he struggled, most notably a scoreless performance in a loss at Notre Dame. But Bacon would rebound near the end. He averaged 19.2 points over the team's last four games, which included two ACC Tournament games.
Bacon, who helped FSU reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons, made his March Madness debut with a 29-point, nine-rebound performance in a first-round win over Florida Gulf Coast.
His 20 points and five rebounds against Xavier were one of the lone bright spots in FSU's season-ending defeat.
"I was just shaking when I made the decision last year," Bacon said. "So this year, I'm excited. I feel like this is the best way to go for me. I feel like a lot of blessings are coming my way."
