Per the Deseret News: "For the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Mika, the move to Italy will be a reunion of sorts. He and his wife Gabrielle both served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there."

I missed my mission (in Europe as well) when I got back and can understand the desire to return to the scene of so many good memories. I don't believe that sentiment is uncommon. I'm thinking that what he was considering at the time was that he'd take a gamble on the NBA and see if it worked. The social scene at BYU wasn't as important now that he's married. Worst case in declaring for the draft, he figures, is that he gets a job paying decent money back living in Italy, where he and his wife served and where they probably spoke romantically of returning one day. He starts life, he and the wife get to live in the land of their shared great memories and get paid to do it. It's all good. I still wish he were going to be entertaining me and other fans at BYU, and I'm an advocate of finishing your degree since you never know what's going to happen. But at some point the college experience is over and you've got to start real life. I guess he thought he'd arrived there, regardless of outcome.