Draft Workouts Gallery

Three Prospects In For Wednesday's Late Workout
June 13, 2007

Charlotte's preparation for the 2007 NBA Draft continued Wednesday afternoon at the Presbyterian Hospital Training Center at Charlotte Bobcats Arena with Jackson State's Trey Johnson, Greece's Renaldas Seibutis and Tennessee's Major Wingate all taking part in predraft workouts.

Johnson was named Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year after ranking second in the nation in scoring with 27.1 points and added 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 35 games for Jackson State. The 6-5, 218-pound guard led the Tigers to a 21-14 overall record, a SWAC title and a berth in the NCAA Championship in his senior season, where Jackson State fell to eventual National Champion Florida in the first round. Johnson elevated his game with the level of competition in 2006-07, scoring 33 points at Georgia Tech, 32 points at Memphis, 27 points at Illinois and leading his team with 25 points against the Gators. He earned First Team All-SWAC honors in both his junior and senior seasons and finished his collegiate career as the Tigers eighth all-time leading scorer in just two seasons after transferring from Alcorn State.

Seibutis played the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons in Greece’s premier professional league, spending one season with Olympiakos before being loaned to Maroussi for the 2006-07 season. The 6-5, 180-pound guard averaged 13.2 points with Maroussi and ranked third in the league in three-point shooting (47.2 percent). He also chipped in 12.4 points and 1.3 assists in 12 FIBA EuroCup contests.

Wingate earned a share of the Lowell Blanchard Award as the Most Improved Player at Tennessee following the 2005-06 season. The Florence, South Carolina native and Volunteers team captain started 29 of 30 games, ranking third on the team with 10.6 points while shooting a team-best 55.6 percent (125-225) from the field. The 6-10, 250-pound center was dismissed from the team in 2006-07 for an undisclosed violation of team rules and spent the 2006-07 season playing in Turkey for Tofas Bursa.

Johnson spoke to bobcatsbasketball.com following his workout:

TREY JOHNSON • 6-5 • 218 LBS. • GUARD • JACKSON STATE • SENIOR
(On today’s workout)
Hands down, it was my toughest workout. I didn’t shoot it as well as I can, I didn’t like that part about it, but other than that it was a tough workout. It was real game-oriented – we went right to business, there was no wasting time, I like that.

(On his other workouts)
This was my third one this week. I have one more tomorrow in Detroit. I’ve been to Houston, New Orleans, Miami, New York, New Jersey and here today.

(On where he thinks he will be drafted)
I think I can be a late first round pick without a doubt, because I think I have the game, ability and the basketball IQ. I just want to impress everybody. I thought today was an average workout for me. I didn’t think I shot the ball that well – I can shoot it way better than that. Sometimes it goes like that but you have to just keep going, keep pushing, and just keep working hard.

(On his strengths as a shooter)
I think in the NBA, I’m going to be more of a jump shooter and a guy who comes off of screens and shoots. I can be a very good complementary role player, a guy who can knock down the shot in any situation.

(On what he knows about the Bobcats and how he would fit in)
I know a lot. I followed Raymond Felton and Sean May through college and I was a junior when Adam Morrison was a senior, so I watched him and followed him and kept up with the scoring battle and things like that. I think I could fit in pretty well with this team. I think I could be a guy who could maybe start one day, come off of the bench and put up points when they need them – knock down shots in certain situations, or just be that key role player for the team.

(On his decision to return to school for his senior year after originally declaring for the draft after his junior year)
I value the decision greatly. I learned a lot about the draft process and what I was going to have to go through, so I wouldn’t be going through it blindly. I knew what kind of workouts I was going to be going through and things like that. It was a just a publicity decision to try to get my name out there. I came from a small Division I school, and I wanted to let everybody know who I was and bring some attention to myself. It did just what I wanted it to do.

(On his decision to keep shooting after the workout was over)
I try to get in extra work whenever I can. That’s the only way you’re going to make it, and that’s the only way to stick around once you get in.