A few months back at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament -- the first stop on this year’s Pre-Draft circuit -- USC’s Desmon Farmer elevated the entire camp with his boundless energy and enthusiasm. As play got underway Wednesday at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, it was clear Farmer was ready to pick up where he left off down south.

Though his team camp up short in the final seconds, where a last-second tip-in by Charlotte’s Martin Iti was waved off, allowing Team Five to score a 79-78 victory over Team Six, Farmer was once again able to generate some buzz and raise the energy level in the building.

A First Team All-Pac 10 selection in 2003-04, Farmer still needed to distinguish himself in postseason camps to hopefully secure a spot in round two. And while it remains to be seen whether Farmer will find a place in the NBA next season, it won’t be for lack of trying.

At a well-proportioned 6-4, 220, Farmer is the epitome of a power guard. Though he’ll occasionally hoist up some ill-advised three-pointers, his strength comes from 18 feet and in, where he’s able to overpower smaller defenders and makes plays around the basket. Though he’ll have to shore up his ballhandling skills and decision-making, a team in need of an energy boost during practice sessions and beyond might be advised to take a long, hard look somewhere in the second round. Farmer finished with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting, to go with six rebounds.

Though he came up short at the very end of Wednesday’s first game, Iti provided an intriguing glimpse of what could be in store for this lean seven-footer from Australia. After a rather pedestrian freshman campaign at Charlotte in 2003-04, Iti entered his name in the draft under the assumption that he’d grab and invite to Chicago and start making a name for himself. Though he clearly could use more seasoning at the collegiate level, Iti showed good touch around the basket and a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Washington’s Nate Robinson, another early entry candidate looking to gauge his draft prospects, wasn’t in the right place at the right time. He was all over the place.

Robinson, who played football for two seasons at Washington before deciding to concentrate solely on basketball, is powerfully built 5-9 bundle of energy. How his game translates at the NBA level is an interesting question, which likely won’t be answered this week. Many feel he needs to go back to school or risk going undrafted. Robinson led all scorers with 22 points.

Team One 93, Team Two 81

Texas Tech’s Andre Emmett is never going to make a living playing HORSE, as he showed in the various shooting drills. There could be space in the NBA for a guy who gives an honest effort defensively and can flat-out score the ball.

Emmett, who led the Big 12 in scoring as a junior and senior, came out smoking in Wednesday’s second game, making his first four shots. He finished with 20 points on 10-for-13 shooting, to go with five rebounds and four steals, as his team fell short. While concerns about his outside shooting are certainly legit, Emmett’s ability to put points on the board and play respectable defense should be enough to get him drafted somewhere in Round Two.

Team One got several solid performances, including 13 points and six assists from Slovenia’s Beno Udrih, who continues to impress. Unlike many guards in camp who are trying to prove they can slide from shooting guard to the point, Udrih is comfortable running the show, while also showing good scoring ability. Though not overly athletic, Udrih has a quick first step and a solid understanding of how to get by people and make good shot/pass decisions.

Cincinnati’s Tony Bobbitt, who shot the lights out in Portsmouth en route to winning MVP honors, showed more of the same, scoring 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Providence’s Ryan Gomes added 12 points.

Team One also got a nice lift from Jackie Butler, the lone high school player in the field. Like some players in camp, Butler didn’t perform well in drills but was able to find more of a groove in game action. He finished with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, nine coming on the offensive end.

Team Four 74, Team Three 64

There were no real standouts in the day’s final game, although some of the week’s more intriguing storylines involve players from both teams, most notably Delonte West of St. Joseph’s, Chris Duhon of Duke and Lawrence Roberts of Mississippi State.

West is trying to show teams he can handle the point guard position, after playing alongside Jameer Nelson the last three seasons. West has solid passing and ballhandling skills and is a very good outside shooter. What he isn’t at this stage of the game is a true point guard.

On several occasions, West failed to keep track of the shot clock, resulting in a bad shot or an expiring clock. It also took him too much time to initiate his team’s offensive sets. He did finish with 10 points and five assists and had some decent moments.

Duhon, the only player in ACC history to record 1,000 points, 800 assists, 475 rebounds, 300 steals and 125 three-point field goals, is trying to prove to teams that his game will translate beyond Duke’s system. On Wednesday, he was unable to get into the flow, finishing with two points, one assists and three turnovers.

Roberts, who like West, is trying to play his way into the first round, scored 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting.

One player who continues to help himself at the postseason camps is Morehead State’s Ricky Minard, who finished with 11 points. After failing to turn heads here in Chicago in 2003, many view Minard as a possible draft-day sleeper.