BOBCATS HOST TRIO OF DRAFT PROSPECTS

The Bobcats basketball operations staff continued preparations for the 2004 NBA Draft on Monday by hosting a trio of prospects for evaluation sessions. Providence center Marcus Douthit joined forwards Darius Rice of Miami and Matt Freije of Vanderbilt for workouts at the Bobcats Basketball Center. Douthit finished seventh in the nation with 3.2 blocks per game as senior. He completed his collegiate career as the second all-time leading shot blocker at Providence with 295 blocks. Rice averaged 16.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per outing as a senior. He finished fourth on the all-time Hurricanes career scoring list and second on the career three-point list. Freije became Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer after averaging 18.4 points and 5.4 rebounds as a senior.

BobcatsBasketball.com visited with Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff and all three players after the workout:

GENERAL MANAGER & HEAD COACH
BERNIE BICKERSTAFF

(on today’s workout)
It was pretty competitive. I don’t think any of the guys embarrassed themselves. You look at them and they are the type of guys that we like. You talk about size, range and arm length and it was a pretty thorough workout. It was about a three-and-a-half hour workout and they hung in there pretty well.

(on where the trio will go in the draft)
I think they are probably guys that because of their size and length are second round (picks) or could conceivably work their way up depending on how well they do in the workouts from this point on. I think just because of their athleticism – (Matt) Freije’s ability to shoot the basketball, (Darius) Rice’s reputation in terms of coming out of high school to Miami, and Marcus (Douthit) because of his length. (With Douthit), you’re talking about a guy that is 6-10, he reached up and his reach standing was 9-5, so that means you only have five more inches to get to the basket.

(on the importance of the second round pick)
We think that because of the numbers we can conceivably get a pretty good pick in the second. Then you are not obligated for a three-year (contract) situation. So, I think you can get a pretty good pick and that’s why we’re bringing in the 15 guys.

(on whether the Bobcats would trade up in the draft)
I think we have to explore that and that’s where the intrigue comes in. We have to wait until the lottery to find out really what’s locked in. You think about Chicago with Chandler and Curry, do they want to go that route (high school player) if they have the second pick.

(on whether there’s a drop off after the top two projected players)
I think the only reason there is a ridge is because of size – you talk about (Emeka) Okafor and his size and (Dwight) Howard and his size -- but I don’t know about all-around talent whether there’s a drop off.

DARIUS RICE

(on his workout)
I think it was positive. Out of all the workouts I’ve been to this was the toughest. This is a young program that is just getting started and I just wanted to come to work and hopefully they’ll pick me up.

(on being part of an expansion franchise)
With a brand new team, I want to come here with the guys they pick up in the draft, just to make a statement in the NBA. It’s a young program on the rise and you can make your own name – especially me being a rookie coming in. They’re just building a new program and I want to be a part of it.

MATT FREIJE

(on what position he’ll play in the NBA)
I think it just depends on the matchups that night. I think I can play three against team whose small forwards are a little slower and I can play four against some of the smaller power forwards in the league. I think I’m a little bit in between the two spots, but my biggest thing is to shoot the ball. I have to go to Chicago (to pre-draft camp) and show that I can do that and I can rebound.

MARCUS DOUTHIT

(on the workout)
I think it went well. It was longer than the rest of them (that I’ve been to), but as far as the stuff they had us doing, I think it was pretty good stuff.

(on what he’s trying to show in the workouts different from what’s on tape)
I think I can shoot a little bit and handle the ball pretty well. I think I don’t show that in the tapes. I just run the floor and finish when I can and block shots. So, I think in these workouts they can see my dribbling ability and some of my jumping ability. I just think that is stuff I really don’t use a lot in a game.

(on playing in Charlotte)
I think it will be a great place to play. I haven’t been to Charlotte before, but since I’ve been down here, I like it. It’s not too fast. The city is just right. These guys are a new expansion team, so everybody is going to go through their growing pains. I think I would fit in well because I can grow with the team.