Ainge Watch For Tuesday

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

This is your official "Ainge Watch" station. . .

~ Danny Ainge should be in Portsmouth, Virginia as we speak  -- not
that we would actually speak -- taking in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
for NBA eligible draftees. My sleeper player, if he's actually in attendance, is Jaeson Maravich of William Carey Jr. College, a 6-5 shooting guard who's a great athlete,
can really shoot and is the son of Pete.

Here's another attendee . . . 

Matthews' future begins at beach Six players from last year's Portsmouth Invitational were drafted in the second round by NBA teams. 
By Mark Berman 

Bryant Matthews' quest to be a pro basketball player begins today. 
Matthews, who earned All-Big East honors with Virginia Tech this year, is one of 64 college seniors who will participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The 11-game showcase for NBA scouts will be held today through Saturday at Churchland High School in Portsmouth. 
"Portsmouth is one of the great opportunities," Matthews said Tuesday in a phone interview. "This is a place I've wanted to play all my life. I've heard about the history of it. It's a good fit for me. Portsmouth is where it starts. I made it, and I've just got to go there and give them a show." 
The Portsmouth Invitational gives players who are not considered sure-fire NBA Draft picks a chance to impress. Scottie Pippen and Ben Wallace are among the NBA stars who have played at the PIT. Six players from last year's tournament were chosen in the 2003 NBA Draft, all in the second round. Last year's tournament also included Marque Perry, now with the National Basketball Development League's Roanoke Dazzle. 
The last Hokie to be drafted, Eddie Lucas, raised his stock at Portsmouth in 1999. Matthews is the first Hokie since Lucas to be invited to Portsmouth. 
"I ain't got to prove nothing - just show them," Matthews said. "I know I'm a pro. I just need to go out there and take it and show people what I'm capable of doing that ain't seen me play before. If I just play my game, eventually somebody will like it." 
The Portsmouth selection committee included NBA scouting director Marty Blake. Matthews was one of six Big East players invited this year, a group that includes Seton Hall's Andre Barrett and Miami's Darius Rice. Two Richmond players, Mike Skrocki and ex-Hokie Tony Dobbins, also will participate. 
Matthews said he is willing to play any role in Portsmouth . 
"I can rebound, get in there and hit the boards," he said. "I want to show what I can do other than score." 
Matthews, who is 6-foot-7 and weighs 215 pounds, averaged 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals this year. He shot a career-best 47.3 percent from the field and sank 31 3-pointers. 
Matthews played power forward this year, but if he has a pro future it will likely be at small forward, where he spent his first three college seasons. Tech coach Seth Greenberg said Matthews can develop into an NBA small forward. 
However, Greenberg said that moving to power forward was a big reason for Matthews' success this season. 
"We put him in a position where he could make plays," said Greenberg, who led the Hokies to a 15-14 mark in his first season as their coach. "We defined what a good shot was. We eliminated his exposure to making bad decisions ... by playing him at [power forward]."