Chris Thomas isn't fretting about the finances of his cross-country trek. He will work out for any NBA team who'll have him as a guest.

It isn't about the money. Well, at least not yet.

Thomas, who declared early for the NBA draft after his sophomore season at Notre Dame, will either have to pony up the cash to reimburse the Celtics, Sonics, Suns, Blazers, Warriors and possibly others, or he'll get his own coin to spend when he signs a contract this summer after being a first-round pick.

	Chris Thomas has already showcased his talents for a handful of NBA teams.

The rules are simple for those in Thomas' shoes. The NCAA allows underclassmen who haven't signed with an agent to go to individual workouts for NBA teams. It'll even allow the NBA teams to pay for the player's expenses up front. Now, if the player returns to college, well he has to pay the air fare, hotel and any other expenses back to the teams he worked out for. If he stays in the draft, he doesn't have to pay back the expenses.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said he sat down with Thomas' family and explained the gamble involved in what their son is doing this month. He also made sure that each team gave the family an invoice after the visit. (The NCAA can be mistaken for the IRS when it comes to accounting procedures.)

"I'm not sure about the costs, and not thinking about it," Thomas said after Thursday's workout in Portland. "I'm just concentrating on basketball. Money should be the least worry on my mind.

"I'm exploring my options, and if money were to hold me back and not allow me to get the most information I could, then I would be selling myself short."

Unlike Saint Joseph's junior point guard Jameer Nelson, Thomas took a pass on next week's Chicago pre-draft camp. Thomas, instead, took his act on the road and won't gauge his draft status in an open setting, in mostly uptempo games. Thomas worked out for each of the teams mentioned above. He also took part in a conditioning program at the IMG basketball facility in Bradenton, Fla.

Orlando and Miami watched him workout when he was in Florida. Thomas then headed back across the country Friday from Portland to work out with a trainer for the next week. He'll resume some team workouts once the Chicago camp ends June 7.

Only then, he said, will he make a decision -- sometime before the June 19 deadline for underclassmen not attached to an agent to withdraw from the draft.

The odds are in favor of Thomas staying in the draft. He is likely going to be the fifth point guard taken in the first round, behind Texas sophomore T.J. Ford, Kansas senior Kirk Hinrich, Oregon junior Luke Ridnour and Louisville senior Reece Gaines. There is a chance Alabama's Mo Williams, Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa or Croatia's Zoran Planinic could go above Thomas on June 26. But at this point, it is unlikely.

The word on Thomas from his workouts is that he's got some similarities to Mike Bibby. He's considered to be the strongest in this group of point guards, and can make shots as well as any of those projected ahead of him. The problem, however, is he measured only 6-foot without shoes (6-1 with shoes). He is still projected as a 10- to 12-year pro, but like any underclassmen with an option to go back to school, Thomas wants an assurance he'll be taken in the first round.

"If he's going to come back, we want him to have a clear head," Brey said. "He's not in our program right now. We cut him completely loose to try and do this. I'd love to coach him again. He's a winner and a hell of a player."

Knowing there could be a place for him in the first round, but certainly is a spot open for him in South Bend, is why Thomas felt comfortable taking the financial risk and taking a more unique route to his final decision. A year ago, Stanford's Casey Jacobsen took a similar path to the first round, but Jacobsen's individual workouts were a direct result of the NCAA's old rules concerning the Chicago camp.

	“	I felt like that if I had to play in Chicago then I should probably go back to school. ... I'm not saying Chicago isn't a place top guys shouldn't want to play, but if I have to play in Chicago to get drafted then I should stay in school. ”
		— Chris Thomas, Notre Dame sophomore guard

In 2002, underclassmen who participated in Chicago and returned to school had to sit out as many games as they played in Chicago to start the following season. (Memphis' Chris Massie was the only player affected by this rule last year, playing two games in Chicago and sitting out his first two games as a senior.) Jacobsen didn't want to take the same risk. So, the Stanford junior went on a similar tour of workouts like Thomas with the intent of paying back the money if he returned to Stanford. The point became moot when Jacobsen was assured he would go in the first round. He landed at No. 22 to Phoenix.

Brey said he saw no reason for Thomas to risk going to Chicago, not play well, and then return to the Irish with his confidence bruised and a perception that he wasn't good enough. It's a stigma that can haunt a player within NBA circles (see: Arizona's Jason Gardner and Kentucky's Keith Bogans from two years ago).

The consensus among Thomas' inner circle was he would be better suited to show his talents in individual, or smaller workouts with other players. A number of scouts and GMs, like the Sonics' Rick Sund, had already seen Thomas multiple times in game action during the 2002-03 season. The Irish were on TV enough for NBA types to know Thomas' on-court skills -- something that wasn't as much the case with Nelson at Saint Joseph's.

"I felt like that if I had to play in Chicago then I should probably go back to school," Thomas said. "Chicago is a great place for those players who need to be seen. But I've been on TV a lot playing in the Big East. I'm not saying Chicago isn't a place top guys shouldn't want to play, but if I have to play in Chicago to get drafted then I should stay in school."

So, where does this leave Thomas? Well, he is no closer to a decision than when he declared last month. But he has received good feedback. Contrary to what he said during his news conference to declare for the draft, Thomas isn't holding firm on his top-20 cutoff for staying in the draft. He now says if a team at No. 25 or 26 wants him, he would have mixed emotions, but probably stay in the draft.

Thomas has worked out for NBA teams with Barbosa, Hinrich, Gaines, Ridnour, Gardner, Stanford's Julius Barnes and Boston College's Troy Bell. Bell, Gardner and St. John's Marcus Hatten are all scheduled to play in Chicago this week. Barnes was listed as an alternate Sunday but isn't expected to be in Chicago. Bell and Hatten, while not pure point guards, have a realistic shot at sneaking into the first round with a stellar week in Chicago.

Thomas, meanwhile, said the personal nature of individual workouts made this process worth the potential expense.

"I'm doing the smartest move I could have made," Thomas said. "If it were just about the money then I would have signed with an agent. I would love to go back to school. If I go to the league this year then so be it."

Brey, obviously, would like to know Thomas' decision sooner, rather than later. He'll put rising sophomore Chris Quinn at the point in place of Thomas if he leaves. But Quinn doesn't have the tenacity of Thomas, nor the ability to bust out 20-plus points. He's not as quick, either. He's much more of a system point guard.

"It's tough because we're in limbo," Brey said. "I'm not sure how to talk to the juniors and sophomores (in high school) about our guard situation. But we wouldn't be where we were the last two years (NCAA second round and Sweet 16) if it weren't for Chris (Thomas). I have not problem with him doing this. I want him to check it out. But it would be tragic if he stays in and went (in the second round)."

What else we're hearing
In the Pac-10 ... The league voted to keep the men's basketball tournament to eight teams instead of 10. Coaches always want to have everyone in the tournament to save their job. But administrators are looking at cost. Having all 10 teams go to Los Angeles would mean another day of the tournament, missed school and an extra day's rent at the Staples Center.

At Oklahoma ... The Sooners signed up to play at Michigan State (Dec. 6) and at Connecticut (Jan. 11) -- possibly the top two teams in the country next season. Oklahoma, which will be in the process of rebuilding after trips to the Final Four (2002) and Elite Eight, also gets Tulsa and Purdue at home.

At UCLA ... Ben Howland won't be upset if Ryan Hollins gets humbled this weekend at the U.S. Trials. Hollins needs to find out where he stands against tougher competition. The Bruins need him and Michael Fey to be tougher in the post if they're going to hang with any team with size in the Pac-10. Howland has an assistant opening and could be looking for someone on the East Coast to fill the final spot.

At Iowa State ... New coach Wayne Morgan was hoping to keep rising sophomore Adam Haluska (9.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg in 28.6 minutes), but he's leaving, likely for Iowa. The All-Big 12 freshmen selection would give Steve Alford an immediate lift in practice if he lands in Iowa City. Morgan will rely heavily on his newcomers with Haluska gone and the uncertainty of Jackson Vroman and Tim Barnes, who are both battling academic issues.

At Kentucky ... The Wildcats picked up a recruiting coup when Western Kentucky point guard Patrick Sparks decided to transfer and pay his own way next season. Kentucky was out of scholarships and Sparks didn't use that as an excuse. Kentucky will get one of the toughest, quickest and hardest working point guards available. He'll be a huge plus in practice next season and should be a starter in 2004-05.

At St. Bonaventure ... New coach Anthony Solomon rewarded Dave First for his loyalty when he hired him to be an assistant. First was Torin Francis' coach at Tabor (Mass.) Academy when Solomon helped recruit him to Notre Dame with head coach Mike Brey. Getting First, who is a solid game and practice coach from all reports, should help the Bonnies recruit in the New England prep school circuit. Dayton made the same move when Brian Gregory hired Mo Cassara from Worcester (Mass.) Academy.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Word on college basketball is updated Fridays throughout the year.