Draft News: Ogide, Harris, Michel, Mitchell

http://www.collegian.com/index.php/article/2011/05/ogide_works_out_for_nuggets

There hasn’t been a CSU basketball player drafted into the NBA since Jason Smith was taken with the 20th pick in 2007 by the Philadelphia 76ers.

But that may change on June 23 when this year’s draft is held in New Jersey.

CSU’s senior forward Andy Ogide is coming off a season in which he led the Rams in scoring and was named to the first-team all-Mountain West Conference team.

And on Tuesday, Ogide took the first step toward being drafted when he was invited for a personal workout in front of the Denver Nuggets brass.

“Everybody from the Nuggets was there,” Ogide said. “From the president to coach (George) Karl to the general manager. All the coaches were there.”

The workout was set up only a day before, but Ogide was happy with how he performed. And apparently, so were the Nuggets.
Ogide said that Karl spoke highly of him and said that the Nuggets will look to bring Ogide in for a larger pre-draft workout `with other prospects in June.

The prospect of playing on Denver’s summer league team was also brought up to Ogide. Summer league teams are often full of young players looking to earn a spot on the official roster once the season begins.

Summer league might be in limbo as there is a possibility of a labor lockout at the end of the current season.

No matter what the labor situation, Ogide plans on doing everything he can to be prepared for the draft.

Following next week when he will finish his master’s degree in management practice, Ogide will travel to Chicago to train at an elite workout facility run by legendary trainer Tim Grover.

Grover’s workout center, Attack Athletics, is a hub for legendary basketball players. The facility has seen some of the biggest stars in the game go through its doors. The client list includes Kobe Bryant, current Nugget Raymond Felton, Dwight Howard, Paul Pierce, and most notably, Michael Jordan.

Despite the positive early signs, there are no guarantees that Ogide will get drafted. He played center for CSU but is very undersized for that position, listed at 6-foot-9-inches.

The lack of basketball history at CSU could also hinder him.

“From what I can tell it’s going to be tough coming from a smaller school that’s a little off of the radar,” Ogide said. “I’m going to have to work harder. That’s what one of the Nuggets assistant coaches said, just keep working and I’ll be all right. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

For now, Ogide is just enjoying the process that has come after years of hard work to reach this point.

“It’s very exciting to be going through the process and having a shot,” Ogide said. “Just have a shot. That’s all you can ask for.”

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2011/may/05/tobias-harris-still-undecided-nba/?comments_id=1768512

Freshman All-American Tobias Harris has yet to decide whether he will return to Tennessee for another year of college, according to his father.

“I’m waiting for Tobias to tell me,” said Torrel Harris Sr., a former NBA scout who is serving as his son’s adviser. “I let my kids make their own decisions. It’s my responsibility to give them all the correct information, but it’s up to them to do what they want to do.”

Torrel Harris Sr. said early Wednesday morning that Tobias Harris has performed well in select private individual workouts for NBA teams.

“We don’t believe it’s in our best interests or the team’s interests for us to disclose who Tobias has worked out with,” said Torrel Harris Sr., who once represented NBA stars George “Ice Man” Gervin and Nate Archibald. “As far as how the (pending NBA) lockout affects his decision, that’s up to him.

“I told Tobias if there is a lockout, the longest I could see him going without getting paid is January.”

Torrel Harris Sr. said his son will not work out in New Jersey this weekend before the 25 to 30 teams expected to be in attendance at the Nets’ training facility.

He said that workout is filled mostly with likely free agents or players projected to be picked in the second round of the NBA Draft.

Tobias Harris, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, has until Sunday to decide if he will return to the Vols for another season.

UT coach Cuonzo Martin has said throughout the past few weeks that he doesn’t necessarily expect Harris to return, but he’s hopeful he returns to the Vols.

Tobias Harris took part in most all of UT’s spring workouts and said he enjoyed the way Martin was coaching and leading the team.

http://blogs.indystar.com/pacersinsider/2011/05/04/iu-coach-tom-crean-on-7-footers-pro-potential-nds-scott-to-decide-after-weekend-camp/

Indiana University coach Tom Crean believes Guy-Marc Michel has a chance to impress NBA decision makers this weekend.

Michel didn’t get to play at IU, but he’ll have a chance to play in front of NBA scouts.

Michel is among 44 players scheduled to play in a workout for draft eligible players at the New Jersey Nets complex this weekend.

The 7-foot, 270-pound center couldn’t play at IU after an NCAA eligibility decision related to his enrolling in a French university and playing with a French club team.

However, Michel did practice, giving Crean a chance to see him in action.

“I’m a huge believer in Guy’s upside and opportunity at the next level,” Crean said. “We had the entire season to be around him and although he was not on the floor and able to help us win and our fans didn’t have the opportunity to see him, he has a great deal of potential because of his size and his disposition.

“His hands are very good. He has a jump hook over both shoulders. He’s a willing learner. He has a high desire to be successful and he’s very hard on himself. He’s one of the three hardest working inside players I’ve ever coached.”

If Michel isn’t drafted, the Pacers could be among the teams interested in looking at him as an undrafted free agent.

At the camp that runs Saturday and Sunday, players will be skill tested, measured and play five-on-five games.

Michel is one of two 7-footers at the camp along with USC’s Mamadou Diarra. Other post players at the camp include Kentucky’s 6-10 Josh Harrellson, Florida’s 6-9 Vernon Macklin, Fresno State’s 6-10 Greg Smith. Players projected to go high in the draft are not at this weekend’s camp.

Michel, 21, played two years in junior college, averaging 7.1 points, 7.3 rebounds 3.1 blocked shots for a guard-oriented up-tempo Northern Idaho team.

Originally from Martinique, Michel previously played for the under-20 French National Team, the same team for which San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker once played.

Notre Dame 6-8 forward Carleton Scott, who also is playing in this weekend’s camp, is testing the NBA draft waters.

Scott has one year of college eligibility remaining and players have until 11:59 p.m. Sunday to decide whether they are in the draft or are returning to school under NCAA rules.

Scott plans to make his decision on whether or not to stay in the draft after the camp.

Scott was the leading rebounder (7.4) and top shot blocker (57) on Notre Dame’s 27-7 team this past season. He averaged 11.2 points and would be Notre Dame’s top returning scorer if he stays in school.

The Big Ten players in the camp are Michigan guard Darius Morris, Northwestern forward John Shurna and Ohio State guard Jon Diebler.

http://www.wvillustrated.com/wvubasketball/story/id/1023

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Mountaineer fans are watching and waiting to see if Kevin Jones withdraws from the NBA draft by the May 8th deadline or decides to keep his name in the draft.

Other players like former WVU forward John Flowers is hoping to earn a few invitations to workout for NBA teams. Flowers is still waiting for those invitations and appears prepared to play professionally overseas next season if there is no opportunity in the NBA.

Former WVU Guard Casey Mitchell on the other hand, is a very busy man. Mitchell has already worked out for the Phoenix Suns. He also has invitations to workout for the Miam Heat, New Jersey Nets and Memphis Grizzlies.

Mitchell landed on the map when he made a name for himself at the Portsmouth Invitational last month. He was the leading scorer at that tournament averaging 23.3 points per game.

Some NBA experts believe Mitchell has a better chance of getting into the league as a Point Guard. Mitchell recently told WSAV-TV in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia that NBA teams are not saying that to him, “They don’t want me to change anything. A lot of people say I may have to be a point guard, but they have been giving me feedback and telling me that I can just play my game and be a two guard in the NBA because I shoot the ball well.”

Mitchell impressed NBA scouts at the Portsmouth Invitational with his shooting ability. He made 31 percent of his shots taken without a dribble. Once teams began respecting that shooting ability he was forced to use the dribble to create open looks. Mitchell made 34.5 percent of his shots taken off the bounce.

Mitchell says his NBA workouts consist of a lot of shooting, “That’s all they want to see. They want me to do what I can do and just be in shape and be ready to go.”

Casey Mitchell continues to workout on his own to be ready for these invited workouts. He runs mock workouts to prepare and is keeping himself in the best shape possible to try and hear his name called in the NBA draft.

“I don’t feel nervous at all,” Mitchell said. “I feel like I am supposed to be there when I go to their facilities and work out. Mainly getting the good feedback builds my confidence every day.”

Right now, it appears Mitchell has the best chance to hear his name called of any of the WVU players eligible to be taken in the NBA draft. These workouts could go a long way to determining if Casey Mitchell gets drafted. The latest draftexpress.com mock draft does not list Mitchell as a player taken in either the first or second rounds. Then again, mock drafts are made to be mocked, and Mitchell has the chance to do his best to dictate whether or not his name is called in the NBA draft.