Chicago notes from Frank Burlison

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Not a lot of new stuff here, but thought there might be folks who are
interested.


BURLISON: Preps don't impress in workouts 
BY FRANK BURLISON <http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?author=Frank
Burlison> 
FOXSports.com
Jun. 6, 2003 2:32 p.m. 
CHICAGO-I've got a fairly solid hunch that checking into dormitories and
tackling freshman classes in sociology and history aren't exactly foremost
on the minds of Ndudi Ebi and Charlie Villanueva these days. 
Neither is the opening day of practice in mid-October at the Universities of
Arizona and Connecticut
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/CBK/team?categoryId=71864> , respectively.

The two "worked out" for about 40 minutes apiece Thursday afternoon at Hoops
The Gym - a facility made basketball-famous by the regular visits of Michael
Jordan <http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=89741>  - in
front of a gathering that included 80 or so assorted NBA presidents (Jerry
West!), coaches (Pat Riley!), general managers, personnel directors and
others loosely defined as "scouts." 
The two 2003 McDonald's All-Americans entered their names in the NBA's draft
pool but elected not to participate in the league's pre-draft camp that was
taking place just a couple of miles away in a gymnasium at Moody Bible
Institute. 
There was no "real" basketball, in a game or even 1-on-1 sense. The practice
involved just shooting, ball-handling and "pivoting" drills (the later of
which usually ended with dunks). 
As many as half the NBA types had bailed by the time the 6-foot-9 Villanueva
had concluded his portion of the display. 
Hey! Sorry, Charlie, but some of these guys wanted to grab a late lunch
and/or nap before things tipped off again at MBI! 
Most of the scouts had already viewed Ebi (6-9, Houston) and Villanueva (New
York City) before, either with their high schools, in summer camps and
tournaments, or in the McDonald's All-America and Roundball Classic all-star
games. 
What could be culled from the reaction to the "workout"? 
Based on Ebi's comments, and the opinions of a half-dozen or so NBA
personnel, Lute Olson will almost assuredly have to make do without perhaps
his most decorated high school signee. 
"There is no sense in leaving my name (he has until June 19 to withdraw from
the draft pool) if I'm going to be a second-round pick," he told reporters
afterward. 
Well, if the reasonable assurance that he'll be one of the 29 first-round
picks on June 26 is all he needs to skip out on freshman life in Tucson,
guess who is going to really be pumped up on draft night? 
"He should go to college," said one Eastern Conference director of scouting.
"Sure, he's got a lot of talent but ... he should go to college." 
But, as another said, "the draft is all about 'talent' and 'upside.' And, as
we get closer to the draft, people are probably going to get more excited
about him." 
Even though he spent the session going "1 on 0" in front of the likes of
West and Riley and other coaches that included Paul Silas (Cleveland), Rick
Adelman (Sacramento), Flip Saunders (Minnesota) and Nate McMillan (Seattle),
Ebi's innate athletic and basketball skill couldn't be second-guessed. 
Would he be ready to play "real" minutes right away next season? 
No one with any common hoops sense believes so. 
But, once again, drafts these days are all about "upside." 
And there's not much debate as to whether or not he probably possesses more
of it than any of the 60-plus mostly second-round candidates that are
working out in the pre-draft camp that wraps up Friday night. 
As for Villanueva, he doesn't excite - if that word is appropriate - the NBA
types nearly as much as does Ebi. 
He's got a more fluid and accurate jump shot than Ebi and he's got a much
more developed body. 
But - and, look out, here comes that "U" word again - Ebi is viewed as
having more "upside" than Villanueva. 
Someone might be willing to draft him somewhere late in the second round but
he could also get blanked, too. 
Even if both decide to bypass the NBA Draft - and it's much more likely that
Villanueva, if he's getting sound advice, will do so - it would be curious
to see how quickly the NCAA inquired as to the particulars of Thursday's
"workout" and of any possible indirect contact with agents or "agent-types"
the two had. 
Someone forked out the cash for air fare, hotel and, presumably, rental fees
for the gym Thursday. 
I'd guess the NCAA would want to see a whole bunch of receipts from their
families before it would clear either to play for the Wildcats or Huskies. 
I've also got a pretty good hunch that it might never even become an issue. 
Bell, Kapono impress
A couple of seniors, Boston College
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/CBK/team?categoryId=71863>  guard Troy
Bell <http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=90919>  and UCLA
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/CBK/team?categoryId=71631>  swingman Jason
Kapono <http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=91175> ,
continued their impressive play Thursday in the Solheim Center at MBI. 
They're certainly no worse than mid-second-round picks June 26. 
And the 6-1 Bell, who scored 20 points and hit three 3s Thursday night, may
be the player in the camp who has done the most to play himself into being a
first-round pick. 
The 6-6 = Kapono, who became one of the real forgotten men of the sport
because of the disaster that was UCLA basketball last season, could climb
into the first round, too, if he continues to impress during individual
workouts over the next couple of weeks. 
His shooting, passing and overall cerebral play panicked a couple of
personnel directors as much as it impressed them Thursday. 
"I just pray that he doesn't end up going to the Lakers
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/NBA/team?categoryId=71087> ," said one
from a Western Conference team Thursday afternoon. 
"Can you imagine how good he would be in the Lakers' (triangle) offense? Oh,
man." 
Camp notes
*  Miami senior James Jones
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=91109>  (6-7) has to
rate as one of the three or four biggest individual surprises in the camp.
If someone claims he's missed three jump shots all week, he should demand a
recount. 
*  James Lang, a McDonald's All-American who, unlike Ndudi Ebi and Charlie
Villanueva elected to participate in the camp, played fairly well again
Thursday night. 
The 6-8 <, 316-pounder (with a 7-6 wingspan) from Birmingham, Ala., has
physical dimensions that can be referred to as "unique," at least on the
basketball landscape. 
But he's got dependable hands, a soft shooting touch and a better "feel" for
the game than many scouts expected to see. He's also playing much harder now
than he was when NBA representatives watched him during the season. 
He seems a near-lock to be drafted, probably in the mid- to early portion of
the second round. 
*  Josh Powell <http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=113093>
(a sophomore forward from North Carolina State
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/CBK/team?categoryId=71662> ) and Andre
Emmett <http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=89896>  (a 6-3 =
junior at Texas Tech
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/CBK/team?categoryId=71872> ) seem
determined to keep their names in the draft pool. 
If so, they better brace themselves for the very real likelihood that they
may have to endure a very long night June 26. 
Translated: Guys, you haven't done a whole lot this week to convince people
you're worthy of even a late second-round pick. 
*  Alabama sophomore guard Maurice Williams
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=92880>  suffered a
sprained ankle Thursday morning and was a questionable participant for
Friday's drills and games. 
He, like junior point guard Jameer Nelson
<http://foxsports.lycos.com/named/Search?categoryId=90202>  of Saint
Joseph's, is considered a fringe first-round pick but a likely second-round
selection. 
The consensus of scouts: They both have a chance to be decent NBA point
guards some day but would best serve their careers by returning to school.