Duquesne basketball coach Ron Everhart might have been caught off guard when Kojo Mensah's name recently popped up among the 69 early entrants to the 2008 NBA draft, but he already had been adding guards to his roster.

"Kojo's [declaration] doesn't have any bearing on our recruiting," said Everhart, still in the market for another guard, although he has signed 5-foot-10 Eric Evans of Detroit Northwestern High School, 6-5 B.J. Monteiro of Crosby (Conn.) High School and 6-2 Chase Robinson of Lee (Ala.) High School. "I really felt we needed help in the backcourt."

Duquesne must replace guards Gary Tucker and Reggie Jackson, who both blossomed late in the season to help the Dukes to a 17-13 record for their first winning season in 14 years.

Mensah, a 6-1 junior who transferred from Siena and sat out the 2006-07 season, was second for Duquesne in scoring (12.1 ppg) and assists (99), but he had a team-high 89 turnovers and made just 23.9 percent of his 3-point attempts. Because he hasn't hired an agent, Mensah won't lose his final season of eligibility if he withdraws from the draft by the June 16 deadline. The draft is June 26.

"I don't know that he won't come back," Everhart said of Mensah, who hopes NBA teams will invite him for workouts. "There's a pretty good chance he'll come back."

Everhart isn't as confident that 6-10 junior Shawn James, who also declared for the draft, will return.

"There are a lot more guards who are skilled than big guys who are talented and have the agility of a Shawn James," Everhart said. James led the Dukes in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) and was fifth nationally with 4.0 blocks per game.

James may feel more urgency than Mensah to start a pro career because he is getting married this summer and will turn 25 in the fall.

Draft analysts project James as a possible selection late in the second and final round or as a player who will go to a camp as a free agent. James doesn't have an agent, either, and could return for his final season if he withdraws from the draft. Mensah isn't expected to be drafted.

Although the NBA is the goal of both players, they also will explore opportunities to play professionally overseas.

"I will support them in whatever decision they make," Everhart said.

Asked if he considers James and Mensah as part of his program, Everhart said, "I would like to think so."

Everhart will continue recruiting throughout the summer, with an emphasis on finding a big man who could contribute right away.

"The recruiting landscape always changes. We'll be covering the whole gamut, high school, prep school, junior college and foreign guys," said Everhart.

"The way things look today may not be the way they look a month from now. We got Damian Saunders in August, and he turned out to be an all-Atlantic 10 rookie.

"As long as we have a spot to fill, we'll try to find a player to fill it. I'm as excited about this recruiting class so far as any I've ever been involved with. The most athletic player we have coming in is Shawntez Patterson [6-7 from Detroit Northwestern]."

NOTE -- Saunders, who will be a sophomore in the fall, had surgery to repair a torn ligament on his left ankle yesterday and likely will be ready for practice in October. Saunders (6.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) was a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference all-rookie team.