2017 Pre-Draft Workouts

Wheat Hotchkiss

The 2017 NBA Draft is this Thursday night, June 22, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. In just a few days, we will know which players in this year's draft class will begin their NBA careers in an Indiana uniform.

The Pacers, who currently own the 18th and 47th overall picks, held their ninth and (presumably) final pre-draft workout on Saturday morning at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The player of the most interest to the local media on Saturday was James Blackmon, Jr., the sharpshooting guard from Indiana University and a Hoosier State native (Pacers.com's Mark Montieth wrote about Blackmon's attempts to transition to the point guard position to make himself a more attractive candidate to NBA franchises).

But the two most intriguing players on the TCU Practice Court on Saturday morning were the two big men: Wake Forest's John Collins and Duke's Harry Giles. Both are candidates for the Pacers' first-round selection, though their paths to the draft could not be more different.

Collins, a 6-10 forward, was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. He was a solid rotational player for the Demon Deacons as a freshman, when he averaged 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. A perfectly fine talent, but not a player on any NBA team's radars.

But that all changed after Collins' spectacular sophomore season. You would be hard-pressed to find any player who improved more in the past year than Collins, who averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds this past season on 62.2 percent shooting.

You won't find a player who was more efficient than Collins. He led the nation in player efficiency rating (PER) at 35.9. In addition to his ridiculous field goal percentage, Collins put up his averages in just 26.6 minutes per game. Per 40 minutes, the West Palm Beach native averaged 28.8 points and 14.4 rebounds per game.

"I think I was able to slow the game down, make more conscientious decisions, and make the game easier for myself," Collins said of his sophomore surge. "I think that helped me a lot."

Collins demonstrated an ability to score the ball at will on the low block in college. A high-energy player, he also thrived running the floor in transition and crashing the glass on both ends of the floor.

A number of mock drafts have projected the Pacers taking Collins with the 18th pick and it's easy to see why he could be a good fit in the Indiana frontcourt.

The Blue & Gold already have a franchise cornerstone at center in 21-year-old Myles Turner. Turner's offensive success stems primarily from his ability to stretch the floor with his shooting, so pairing him with a power forward who thrives in the post like Collins could help provide balance.

"I think myself and Myles could definitely be a pretty decent tandem," Collins said. "I can definitely see myself fitting in (with) the culture and everything."

Though he spent two seasons in college, Collins is extremely young for his class. He won't turn 20 until Sept. 23 and is actually almost five months younger than ULCA freshman T.J. Leaf, another power forward and likely first-rounder who has worked out for the Pacers.

Collins has been on the Pacers' radar throughout the pre-draft process. He had an interview with members of the Pacers' front office, including President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard, at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month and said he walked away from the meeting with "a good impression" of the franchise.

He was originally going to work out for the team on May 23 against Leaf, but had to reschedule at the last minute.

While he was extremely productive as a sophomore, there are still areas where Collins can improve. One main area for growth is on the defensive end, where he struggled for large stretches at Wake Forest.

Collins is also hoping to show teams that he has expanded his shooting range after not attempting a single 3-pointer in college. He was hoisting shots from beyond the arc in shooting drills at the end of Saturday's workout, demonstrating at least the potential to eventually be able to score at three different levels in the NBA.

"For me, I know it feels good, it looks good," Collins said. "Obviously, it's just about repetitions. The more reps I get, the more comfortable I'll be shooting that shot...I think it will definitely become a lethal weapon sooner or later."

While Collins thrust his name into draft consideration within the last several months, Giles has been on NBA teams' radars for years. In fact, there was a period where Giles was considered a strong possibility to be the top overall pick in this year's draft.

But Giles' stock has suffered over the past year due to injury concerns. He tore the ACL in his right knee at the start of his senior year in high school, two years after suffering the same injury to his left knee. Giles' second ACL tear ended his high school career and kept him out of the first 11 games of his freshman season at Duke.

When he did eventually return to the floor, Giles saw limited playing time, as he struggled to shake off the rust from such a long layoff. Playing behind senior Amile Jefferson in the post, Giles played just 11.5 minutes per contest, averaging 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Though he was efficient in limited opportunities, shooting 57.7 percent from the field, Giles was merely a shell of the player that dominated the high school circuits just a couple years earlier.

Everywhere Giles travels during the pre-draft process, teams obviously take a close look at his knees. Team medical staffs have conducted extensive testing on Giles during the pre-draft process, but he insisted that he feels stronger and healthier than he did at any point during the season.

"They get to check for themselves now, so for me, it's just kind of letting them do what they've got to do," Giles said. "I'm good. I feel great and I just back it up on the court."

North Carolina point guard Nate Britt, another one of the participants in Saturday's workout, backed up Giles' words after playing against his former collegiate rival in three-on-three competition.

"Going against Harry, you can see his health is a lot better now," Britt said. "He's extremely athletic trying to guard the rim and guard the basket."

With a 7-3 wingspan and a 9-1 standing reach, Giles has the length to make a major impact on both ends at the next level if his knees cooperate. His frame and agility also could enable him to thrive in transition and on the boards.

Workouts have been particularly important for Giles, given his limitations in college. Teams have wanted to see how he fares against fellow first-round post players in a one-on-one setting. Giles said on Saturday that it was the third or fourth workout he had in the last two weeks where he matched up with Collins. It is his hope that he has used the opportunities to his advantage to showcase elements of his game that were not on display at Duke.

"For me, it's my versatility, just kind of getting back to my game as far as playing with my back to the basket and facing up," Giles said. "Playing 15 to 17 feet (from the rim), getting opportunities to create and playmake — that's things I like to do.

"For me, it's just getting back comfortable. During the season, I wasn't as healthy as I wanted to be and at the same time, was just kind of playing my role."

While it has been an admittedly difficult couple of years for Giles, he believes the adversity he's been through can also be seen as an asset, as he argues it revealed his true character.

"(Dealing with injuries tested) my patience and my desire and determination for the game," Giles said. "I think a lot of guys might stop playing if they went through what I went through or not attack it the same way...For me, I think the more adversity, the more it makes me hungry."

Given the uncertainty surrounding his health, Giles is most definitely one of the biggest question marks in the entire draft. But at a certain point in the draft, the risk outweighs the reward and someone will take him, hoping they're getting a top-five talent at a bargain price.

Whether that team ends up being the Pacers remains to be seen.

And if it comes to Collins and Giles on draft night, which direction would the Pacers go?

Though their paths to the draft could not be more different, either player could end up being a long-term fixture in the frontcourt for the franchise. In a few days, we may have the answer to that debate.

Pittsburgh's Jamel Artis (left), North Carolina's Nate Britt (center), and DePaul's Billy Garrett each are hoping their experience in college can help an NBA team.

In addition to Blackmon, Collins, and Giles, three more prospects worked out for the Pacers on Saturday, all of them four-year college players: Britt, Pittsburgh forward Jamel Artis, and DePaul guard Billy Garrett.

Artis, a 6-7 forward, was one of the more accomplished scorers in the ACC, where he ranked fifth in scoring as a senior at 18.2 points per game. Artis has a versatile offensive attack, able to get to the rim or knock down shots from the perimeter (he shot 39.2 percent from 3-point range last season).

Artis' game at Louisville on Jan. 11 was one of the best individual performances of the entire season. He lit up the Cardinals for 43 points, going 15-for-22 from the field and 7-for-13 from 3-point range and almost single-handedly lifting an undermanned Pitt squad to a stunning road victory.

Though he would likely play on the wing at the next level, Artis is also a capable playmaker. He handles the ball well for a player of his size and showed a knack for creating for his teammates, averaging a solid 3.3 assists per game as a senior.

"I think teams always need another offensive threat and I think I can bring that to the table to any NBA team," Artis said.

The focus, then, for Artis during pre-draft workouts is on the defensive side of the floor. He knows that he will need to show teams he can be a solid contributor on that end if he wants to earn minutes in the NBA.

A few other factors prevent Artis from ranking higher on draft boards. First, his numbers came on a Pittsburgh team that struggled on the season, going just 4-14 in ACC play. More important to scouts is Artis' age — he is already 24 years old, which suggests that he might not have as much upside as young prospects.

While Artis put up big numbers in the ACC, Britt enjoyed a lot more team success, helping North Carolina make back-to-back appearances in the national championship game.

Britt had to make sacrifices throughout his four years in college, backing up Marcus Paige and then Joel Berry II at the point guard position. Playing in a limited role, Britt averaged between 4.5 and 5.5 points per game in each of his four seasons at Chapel Hill.

While that may not make the 6-1 guard an enticing prospect to NBA teams, he made the argument on Saturday that it shows that he could be a seamless fit in a professional locker room because he knows how to check his ego at the door.

"Knowing that you're on a team full of talent and that your role may not always be what you want to do, I think Carolina has prepared me for that," Britt said. "I think I've done an extremely good job throughout my four years of being able to play a specific role and contribute to the success of the team as much as possible."

Britt hopes that he has been able to impress teams by showing more aspects to his game during workouts. In particular, he thinks that he is a skilled creator in pick-and-roll sets, something that head coach Roy Williams did not run very often at North Carolina.

Britt is realistic about his professional prospects. He knows that he likely won't hear his name called on draft night, but  plans to play in one or both of the summer leagues with the hopes of impressing a team enough to earn a training camp invite.

"My main goal is just to pick up interest and turn a lot of heads," Britt said. "I'm taking these workouts as an opportunity to show guys on the staff and front office things that they weren't able to see in my college career."

Britt is in the unique position that he is going through the pre-draft process at the same time as his adoptive brother, Villanova forward Kris Jenkins. Jenkins hit the buzzer beater that lifted the Wildcats over Britt's Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament championship game in 2016, then was in Phoenix in April to watch Britt capture his own national title.

Britt said he and Jenkins talk daily to compare notes from their different workouts. They plan to watch the draft together with the rest of their family.

Garrett is another four-year point guard attempting to make the transition to the NBA. At 6-6, Garrett has better size than Britt and put up bigger numbers in college.

As a senior, Garrett averaged 14.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. He was an inconsistent shooter during his time in college, but knocked down 36.3 percent of his 3-point shots in his final season on campus. Garrett's .882 free throw percentage suggests that he has the ability to become an even better outside shooter.

Garrett stayed in his hometown of Chicago for college, but did not enjoy a lot of team success during his four years at DePaul. The Blue Demons won just five Big East games over the past two seasons.

Garrett will be surrounded by a lot more talent in the NBA, but that also means he will have to adjust to playing a greatly reduced role from what he was asked to do in college. That's something he said on Saturday he would happily embrace.

"With each team that has different personnel, it kind of varies, but I'm happy with any role, no matter what it is," Garrett said. "Whether it's come off the bench and makes shots, come off the bench and defense, run offense, do whatever I need to do. I'm more than willing to do it."

Garrett is an inspiring story in that he has been able to achieve considerable success on the court despite having sickle cell disease. That diagnosis has forced him to be more careful about his conditioning and diet than most college athletes.

"I've learned from trial and error," Garrett said. "As a kid, I ran into a lot of trouble, but I learned from it.

"And now I'm at the point where I know exactly what my body needs for me to be able to perform at a high level and to maintain my endurance. I've been able to do that just with sleep and hydration and proper preparation. So I'm good now."

different-paths-lead-collins-giles-to-same-spot

Different Paths Lead Collins, Giles to Same Spot

indmmontieth

He can shoot the basketball, everyone knows that. The college stats are there in black and white, and he's the type who will pass the eyeball test in virtually every workout.

The question James Blackmon, Jr. has been trying to answer in his pre-draft workouts for NBA teams has been twofold: can he handle the ball well enough to play point guard, and can he defend his position? How well he's answered them will determine whether he hears his name called on draft night or goes the free agent route.

Blackmon worked out for the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Saturday morning. He said it was either his 14th or 15th for an NBA team, and he can be forgiven for not being sure. They all run together after a while, and this one was his sixth in six days – a back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back, if you will. He worked out in Los Angeles on Friday, arrived at his Indianapolis hotel around 12:30 or 1 a.m., then was up at 7:30 to prepare for his last audition.

Still, he seemed energized when talking with the eight reporters gathered around him on the practice court.

"It's good that I finished at home," he said.

"I brought a little extra edge. It was hard not to show my best for this one."

Blackmon was born and raised in Fort Wayne, finished his high school career in Marion and played three seasons at Indiana University. He entered the draft following a season in which he averaged 17 points on 48 percent shooting – 42 percent from the 3-point line – in 30 games. He had hit 46 percent of his 3-pointers the previous season, when he played in just 13 games because of a knee injury.

So, yes, he can shoot, a point he reiterated in drills following Saturday's session on The Fieldhouse practice court. His problem is that he's 6-foot-3, short for a shooting guard in the NBA, which means he must prove himself as a point guard. Which leads to the other problem, which is that he doesn't have elite quickness by NBA standards. Having had two knee surgeries while at IU doesn't help.

The next college shooting guard to transition to NBA point guard successfully might be the first. James Harden did it after playing seven NBA seasons, but he's 6-5. Blackmon, however, believes he's showing better ballhandling skills than people assume from him, and believes that might be why he's received far more invitations to work out than he expected when the process began.

Teams have played him at point guard in fullcourt and halfcourt situations, seeing how he handles pick-and-rolls and one-on-one matchups.

"It's one-on-one, you're on an island," he said. "Offensively I've been showing I can break people down and defensively showing that competitive edge, getting into people.

"In college I played off the ball, but in these workouts I've been strictly a point guard, and playing a little combo. I've showed that part of my game. That's something I didn't show in college."

Blackmon, who announced his decision to stay in the draft on May 7, participated in graduation ceremonies in Bloomington. He still needs one online course to complete his degree requirement, a sports communications class that requires a couple of projects and an internship. His pre-draft workouts and all the interviews that go with them would seem to qualify for course credit, but he'll complete that later.

Mock drafts have him as a fringe prospect, one unlikely to be drafted but one who could sneak into the latter reaches of the second round. That shouldn't deter him too much, however, given the example set by two former IU teammates, Yogi Ferrell and Troy Williams.

Both were undrafted last year, but wound up on NBA rosters and succeeded. Ferrell played in 46 games for Brooklyn and Dallas. He started 29 games for the Mavericks, for whom he averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 assists and 1.6 turnovers, and had a 32-point game at Portland. Williams played in 30 games total for Memphis and Houston, starting in 16. He averaged 9.7 points in his six games with the Grizzlies, including a 21-point outing at Phoenix.

"The draft is obviously the goal, but some guys who got drafted aren't playing and those two are," Blackmon said. "I've been talking to them almost every other day, especially Yogi. I worked out for Dallas this week. Just talking to them has definitely given me confidence."

"Either way it goes, draft, un-draft, I'm confident I'm an NBA player."

Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Indiana Pacers. All opinions expressed by Mark Montieth are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Indiana Pacers, their partners, or sponsors.

blackmon-jr-trying-to-prove-a-point

Blackmon, Jr. Trying to Prove a Point

admin

Height: 6-11
Weight: 232
Position: PF/C
College: Duke
Age: 19

PPG: 3.9
RPG: 3.8
APG: 0.3
BLK: 0.7
STL: 0.3

Career
Played in 26 games after returning from offseason knee surgery...Declared for the NBA Draft on March 28, 2017, after one season at Duke

2016-17
Selected to preseason watch lists for both the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award...Played in 26 games with six starts; part of Duke's first sub group 10 times...Averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per contest while shooting .577 from the floor...Scored in double figures twice and had one double-double...Led Duke in rebounding three times and ranked second on the team with 15 dunks...Missed the first 11 games of the season while working back from an offseason knee scope...Made his Duke debut in the home win over Tennessee State (12/19)...Had four points and eight rebounds in the ACC opener at Virginia Tech (12/31)...Recorded a double-double with 10 points and a season-high 12 rebounds in his first career start during Duke's home win over Georgia Tech (1/4)...Poured in a season-high 12 points in a home win over Boston College (1/7)...Contributed seven points, six rebounds and two blocks at Louisville (1/14)...Had six points and five boards in front his hometown fans in Duke's win at Wake Forest (1/28)...Scored six points in 10 minutes in the home win over No. 8 North Carolina (2/9)...Helped will Duke to victory over No. 6 North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals (3/10) with six points, seven rebounds and a season-high four blocks...Had four points and four rebounds in just 10 minutes in the win over Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament championship game (3/11)

USA Basketball
Owns three gold medals as a member of the USA Basketball program: 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship and 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship...Has played in 16 games for USA Basketball, making nine starts and averaging 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest...Member of the U.S. team that won the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, but was unable to play due to injury...Selected to participate in the 2015-16 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team minicamp...Named to the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship All-Tournament Team after averaging a double-double of 14.0 points and 10.6 rebounds to lead the U.S. to the gold medal...Averaged 10.9 points and 6.1 rebounds at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship...Posted averages of 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds at the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship...Named to the 2013-14 USA Basketball Men's Developmental National Team

High School
Ranked as the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the 2016 high school class by the Recruiting Services Consensus Index...Rated the No. 1 overall recruit in the class by ESPN, as well as No. 2 overall by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports...Named to the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic but was unable to participate due to injury...Earned inclusion on the 2016 Louisville Courier-Journal Super Five first team despite missing his senior season due to injury...Honored as a first-team All-USA selection by USA Today, a third-team Naismith Trophy All-American and fourth-team MaxPreps All-American as a junior in 2015 after averaging 23.9 points and 12.5 rebounds to lead Wesleyan Christian Academy to a 30-5 record and an NCISAA 3A runner-up finish...Also named a first-team MaxPreps Junior All-American and the All-USA North Carolina Player of the Year as a junior...Averaged 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a freshman to propel Wesleyan Christian to the 2013 NCISAA 3A state championship...Named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year in 2013...Also named NCISAA 3A all-state and PACIS Player of the Year as a freshman

Personal
Born Harry Lee Giles III on April 22, 1998, in Winston-Salem, N.C....Son of Harry and Melissa Giles...Father played football and basketball at Winston-Salem State...Has a brother, Marquis, and three sisters, Shari, Shalaria and Quanetra

harry-giles-2017-draft-prospect

Harry Giles: 2017 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-6
Weight: 213
Position: PG
College: DePaul
Age: 22

PPG: 14.9
RPG: 2.9
APG: 3.3
BLK: 0.2
STL: 1.2

Career Notes: 2014 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year... three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member... third player in program history to earn league Freshman/Rookie of the Year honor... joins Quentin Richardson (1999 Conference USA Freshman of the Year) and Cleveland Melvin (2011 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year)... named to the 2014 BIG EAST All-Rookie Team... 64 career games in double-figures... fourth in school history with an .826 (408-494) career free throw percentage... eighth all-time with 408 free throws... 10th with 494 free throw attempts... 15th at DePaul with 325 career assists... 15th with 324 three-point attempts... 19th with 100 three-pointers... 34th on DePaul’s all-time scoring list with 1,154 points... became 49th player in program history with 1,000 career points at Georgetown on Jan. 9, 2016... became the 16th player in program history with 300 assists against Providence on Feb. 2, 2016... became 19th player in school history with 100 three-pointers against Seton Hall on March 5, 2016... signed with DePaul on Nov. 21, 2012.

2015-16 (Junior): Named to NABC Honors Court and BIG EAST All-Academic Team... preseason second team All-BIG EAST... played in and started 30 games... reached double-figures in 21 games... ranked among BIG EAST leaders in free throw percentage (8th - .819), assists (11th - 3.5 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (11th - 1.4) and scoring (15th - 12.6 ppg)... in conference games only ranked among leaders in assists (10th - 3.6 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (11th - 1.3), free throw percentage (13th - .803) and scoring (19th - 12.1 ppg)... 18 points against Seton Hall... 19-point, 10-assist double-double against St. John’s... 14 points, five rebounds, four assists at St. John’s... 16 points against Providence with six boards, four assists... 18 points, two assists, two rebounds against Xavier... 14 points at Marquette including a three-point play with 1.1 seconds left to win the game... added five assists, three steals against the Golden Eagles... 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals against Creighton... 16 points (12-12 FT), four rebounds, four assists at Georgetown... three straight 20-point games against George Washington, Georgetown and Seton Hall... 20 points, eight assists, four rebounds at Seton Hall... 21 points against Georgetown with five rebounds and five assists... named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after George Washington game... 20 points against George Washington with seven assists... 15 points and five assists at Stanford... 19 points at Drake with two rebounds... 16 points, six rebounds, three assists against Chicago State... 13 points, six assists, two rebounds at UIC... 22 points, seven assists, four boards against Norfolk State... 12 points against Florida State... 11 points, four assists against South Carolina... 14 points, four boards at Penn State... named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after Western Michigan game... scored 18 points (10-11 FT) against Western Michigan with five rebounds and four assists.

2014-15 (Sophomore): Honorable mention All-BIG EAST... preseason second team All-BIG EAST... named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team... started 32 games... one of three players to start every game... one of four players to average in double-figures... led team with 12.3 points per game and 126 assists... 158 free throws are ranked ninth on DePaul's season chart while the 190 attempts are tied for 10th... recorded three games without missing a free throw with at least 11 attempts... only 22 times in school history has a player made at least 10 free throws in a game without a miss... ranked among BIG EAST leaders in all games for free throw percentage (4th - .832), assists (4th - 3.9 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (9th - 1.7) and scoring (13th - 12.3 ppg)... in league games only, ranked among leaders in assists (4th - 4.1 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (7th - 1.8), free throw percentage (12th - .788) and scoring (16th - 12.0 ppg)... 10 points and eight assists against Creighton in first round of BIG EAST Tournament... eight points, seven assists at Georgetown... 11 points and four rebounds against Providence... 18 points at St. John’s... 20 points, four assists, four boards against Seton Hall... 16 points against Villanova with eight assists, four rebounds... 16 points at Providence... 14 points, four rebounds at Seton Hall... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after games against Georgetown and St. John’s... 20 points (13-13 FT) with two assists, two boards against St. John’s... fifth player in school history to not miss a free throw with at least 13 attempts... 16 points, six rebounds, five assists against Georgetown... nine points, six assists at Creighton... named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after wins over Marquette and Xavier... second career double-double with 15 points and 10 assists against Xavier with five rebounds... 19 points against Marquette with four rebounds... 16 points, four rebounds against Loyola Marymount... 13 points, four assists against Ohio... 15 points, four assists against Colorado... 10 points, four assists against Illinois State and at George Washington... 18 points against Milwaukee with six rebounds, four assists... set Allstate Arena record for a DePaul player by going 11-for-11 from free throw line... first DePaul player to not miss from the line with at least 10 attempts at Allstate Arena... feat has been done by three opposing players (last D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera vs. Georgetown on Feb. 3, 2014)... 15 points against Northern Illinois with three rebounds, three assists... totaled nine points, four assists, two steals against Stanford... 15 points against Lehigh with four assists... 15 points, three assists against Drake... 12 points, six assists (zero turnovers), two steals against UIC... knocked down the game-winning three-pointer with seven seconds left.

2013-14 (Freshman): BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and member of league's All-Rookie Team... five-time BIG EAST Rookie of the Week... named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team... played in 31 games with 25 starts... led all BIG EAST freshmen in scoring, assists and free throw percentage... led team with 37 three-pointers and second with 93 assists... 21 games in double-figures... three games with at least 20 points... 14 games with six or more free throws... ranked among BIG EAST leaders in all games for free throw percentage (7th - .825), assist-to-turnover ratio (11th - 1.4), assists (13th - 3.0 apg) and scoring (18th - 12.4 ppg)... in league games only, ranked among leaders in free throw percentage (13th - .813), three-point field goal percentage (t13th - .397), assists (14th - 2.7 apg) and scoring (15th - 13.8 ppg)... 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals against Georgetown in first round of BIG EAST Tournament... 12 points, four steals, three assists at St. John's... 15 points against Seton Hall with three assists... named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after Xavier and Marquette games... 26 points (5-8 3pt. FG), two assists against Marquette... sent game to overtime with just under three seconds left in regulation on a 25-foot three-pointer... 17 points, five assists at Xavier... 10 points at Providence with three rebounds... nine points, five assists at Creighton... 12 points against Georgetown... 18 points against Xavier with three assists... named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after St. John's and Villanova games... 11 points, three rebounds, three assists at Villanova... 21 points against St. John's with five assists... carded first career 20-point game with 22 points at Butler along with five boards, five assists... 10 points, three rebounds at Marquette... 17 points at Georgetown with three assists... named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after Northwestern game... scored the game-winning basket at the buzzer in the 57-56 win over the Wildcats... totaled nine points with four assists, two rebounds, two blocked shots... 18 points at Illinois State with four assists... named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Dec. 16 following games against Florida Atlantic and Chicago State... 17 points (including eight of DePaul's first 10 in overtime) against Chicago State with five rebounds, four steals... 14 points, four rebounds, three assists against Florida Atlantic... named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Dec. 2 following games against Wichita State, Texas and Oregon State... recorded first career double-double with 15 points and 10 assists against Oregon State... first freshman since Sammy Mejia to record a point-assist double-double... Mejia accomplished the feat with 11 points and 11 assists against Southern Miss on Feb. 28, 2004... 11 points against Texas in first collegiate start... nine points, three assists at Milwaukee... 12 points against Wright State with two steals... tallied eight assists (one turnover) with five points and three boards against Southern Miss... opened collegiate career with four assists, three rebounds and two points against Grambling State.

High School: Led Morgan Park High School to a 33-3 record and an Illinois High School Class 3A State Championship in 2013... the Mustangs finished the season ranked No. 22 in the USA Today Super 25 national high school rankings... finished tied for ninth in the Illinois Mr. Basketball voting... his No. 5 jersey was retired at Morgan Park after finishing career as all-time leader in scoring and assists... only Garrett and Louisville's Wayne Blackshear have their jerseys retired at Morgan Park... totaled 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in championship game... four-year starter at Morgan Park... averaged 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds per game as a senior (2012-13) and 25.2 points, five assists and three rebounds per game as a junior (2011-12)... led Morgan Park to the Proviso West Holiday Tournament title... first team Class 3A All-State honoree by the Associated Press as a senior... earned All-City, All-Area and All-State honors in both his junior and senior years... named to the ESPN 100 as No. 94 overall and 23rd among all points guards... ranked as the 22nd-best point guard (No. 99 overall) by Rivals.com... also a top 100 recruit by Scout.com and No. 18 among the nation's top point guards... played on the AAU circuit for the Mac Irvin Fire playing in the nation's top summer events... also made summer stops at the Pangos All-American camp, NBPA Top 100 camp and the Deron Williams Skills Academy... coached by Nick Irvin, Curtis Blair, Walter Woghiern and Terry Johnson.

Personal: Son of DePaul assistant coach Billy Garrett and Annissa Lambrith-Garrett... grandson of Bill Garrett, the first African-American basketball player in the Big 10... he was an All-American at Indiana before being drafted by the Boston Celtics... he also played with the Harlem Globetrotters before becoming a high school coach in Indiana... Finance major in the Driehaus College of Business.

billy-garrett-2017-draft-prospect

Billy Garrett: 2017 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-1
Weight: 175
Position: PG
College: North Carolina
Age: 23

PPG: 4.5
RPG: 1.8
APG: 2.4
BLK: 0.1
STL: 1.0

Player BioCourtesy of North Carolina Athletics

CAREER
Played in 111 games with 19 starts (16 as a freshman) • Scored 593 career points with 205 assists and 80 steals • Made 154 of 186 free throws • Has the 11th-highest free throw percentage in UNC history (.828) • Scored in double figures 15 times • Career-high 17 points as a junior vs. Fairfield and Davidson and Syracuse as a sophomore • Made four three-pointers twice and had a career-best seven assists vs. Texas as a freshman • Won Carolina’s defensive player of the game award 18 times.

JUNIOR SEASON (2015-16)
Fourth on the team with 26 three-point field goals and seventh in scoring • Made 17 of his 26 3FGs in the first 13 games • Had 68 assists and 34 turnovers (2/1 ratio) • UNC’s defensive player of the game five times (Temple, Fairfield, Florida State, Louisville and at NC State) • Scored in double figures five times with a high of 17 against Wofford and Davidson • Season-high six assists at home vs. Duke • Shot 80 percent from the free throw line.

Game Highlights
Scored seven points and had four rebounds, two assists and played outstanding defense vs. Indiana in the NCAA Sweet 16 • Five points and two steals vs. FGCU in the NCAA first round • Scored nine points vs. Pitt in the ACC QF • Got to the free throw line for a season-high five attempts vs. Notre Dame in the ACC SF • Had three assists in win at Duke • ACC season scoring high 10 points in win over Miami • Hit a pair of threes vs. the Canes (only multi-three game since the start of ACC play) • Season-high six assists in 14 minutes at home vs. Duke, his most assists since the UNCW game his freshman year • Had eight points and five assists in the home win over Boston College • Eight points at Virginia Tech • Key player in Carolina’s home win over NC State with four assists and three steals • With State leading by five, he hit a 3FG, made a steal and passed ahead to Brice Johnson for a game-tying dunk • Scored his 500th career point at Florida State • Had seven points, four assists and two steals and won UNC’s defensive award vs. the Seminoles • Played 23 minutes vs. the Noles, his longest stint in ACC play of the year.

Scored 11 points and had five assists vs. UNCG • Matched his career high with 17 points against previously unbeaten Davidson • Tied his career high with six field goals • Scored 13 of his 17 in the opening half as UNC built a 23-point lead • Was the second time this year and his career that he led UNC in scoring • Helped UNC lead by eight early against Maryland with five straight points • Three-pointer gave Carolina a 10-point lead and started 16-3 run in second half vs. Northwestern • Had back-to-back steals and baskets that capped a decisive 14-3 UNC run against Wofford • Tied career highs with four three-pointers and 17 points against Fairfield (also had four 3FGs and 17 points vs. Syracuse in 2015) • Scored 32 points in the first two games, his most in consecutive college games.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2014-15)
Second on the team in bench scoring at 5.5 ppg • Third on the team with 26 three-pointers • Made 60-68 from the free throw line (.882) • Free throw percentage (.882) is the second-best in a season by a Tar Heel with at least 60 made free throws • Made 32-70 (.457) from the floor and 13-31 (.419) 3FG over the last 18 games • Averaged 17.6 minutes per game at the point in ACC play • Shot 6 for 28 from the floor in the first six ACC games and 31 for 61 from the floor over the next 16, including the ACC Tournament • Had three or more assists seven times with a season-high four on three occasions • Scored a career-high 17 points and hit a career-high four three-pointers vs. Syracuse • Scored in double figures seven times • Carolina’s defensive player of the game five times • Shot free throws left-handed and jump shots right-handed • As a freshman he shot exclusively from the left side.

2014-15 Game Highlights: Led Carolina with 10 points in the first half vs. Arkansas, out-scoring Brice Johnson, Marcus Paige and Justin Jackson by two, and helping UNC lead, 39-36, at the break • Hit his first three-pointer in five games and went 5-5 from the FT line • It was his most FTs made this season • Played 23 minutes vs. the Razorbacks, his longest stint since he played 23 on 2/18 at Duke and 2/21 vs. Georgia Tech • Was his first game scoring in double figures since he had 11 at Duke • Scored more points in the first half vs. Arkansas than he had in the five previous games combined.

Seven points in the ACC Tourney win over Boston College • Had nine points at Georgia Tech, his best scoring game since he had 11 at Duke • Matched his career high with 10 field goal attempts and had 11 points in overtime loss at Duke (was his third time scoring in double figures in his last six games) • Made his second start of the season at Boston College and had four assists, his most in an ACC game this year which also tied his season high (with William and Mary) • Scored nine points in a season-high 28 minutes (one shy of his career high) vs. Virginia • Scored eight of his 10 points at Louisville in the first half • Did have three second-half turnovers against the Cards • Made 5 of 7 shots from the floor, including 4 of 5 from three-point range, for a career-high 17 points in 93-83 win over Syracuse • Came into the game 8 of his last 32 from the floor and 2 of 8 from three • Matched his previous career best with a pair of threes in the first half, then hit consecutive threes in the second half to give UNC the lead for good • With Syracuse leading 62-61, he hit a three with 8:10 to play to give UNC the lead and added another 40 seconds later to make it 67-62 UNC • The 17 points are the most by a non-starter in UNC’s first 30 games • Suffered a lacerated lip in the final minutes of the win at Wake Forest (received 15 stitches which were removed on Jan. 27th) • Made both free throws with 3.1 seconds to play to extend UNC lead to three in win at NC State • Hit two three-pointers in the first half and finished with eight points in 21 minutes in the win over Louisville • Came up a key steal off an inbounds pass that led to a Paige three-pointer when Louisville was holding a 10-point lead with 6:25 to play • Scored 11 with four assists and no turnovers against William and Mary • Hit two three-pointers in the last 4:28 • Was his best assist-error since he went 6/0 against UNCW as a freshman • Scored 10 points and added three assists vs. UAB • Hit two three-pointers against UAB, the first time in his career he made multiple threes in a game • Scored 10 points against East Carolina • Made his first start of the season against UCLA and had seven points, two assists and two steals.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2013-14)
Averaged 5.1 points and 2.4 assists • Played in all 34 games and averaged 20.9 minutes a contest • Started at the point in the first 16 games • Averaged 21.6 minutes off the bench in the last seven games • Third on the team in assists with 80 • Scored in double figures three times • Had more assists than turnovers 17 times • Averaged 6.5 points and went 20 for 23 from the free throw line in eight games against Top 25 opponents  • UNC's defensive player of the game eight times, the second-most on the team (Louisville, UNCG, Texas, Syracuse, 2/22 vs. Wake Forest, at NC State, Providence and Iowa State) • Multiple steals in nine games • Second on the team in free throw percentage (.794) • Went 28 for 30 (.933) from the free throw line against ACC teams.

ACC Highlights: Scored eight points and matched his ACC-high with four assists at Duke • Played an ACC-high 23 minutes at Duke, his longest stint since the Northern Kentucky game on 12/27/13 • Hit two clutch jumpers down the stretch in the home win over Notre Dame, including one with 4:53 to play that gave UNC a 54-52 lead • Went 4 for 4 from the free throw line late in regulation and teamed with James Michael McAdoo to force a turnover with less than a minute to play in overtime in the win at NC State • Had ACC bests with nine points and four assists, hit his third three-pointer of the season and was UNC's top defender in 2/22 win over Wake Forest • Made all six of his free throw attempts in win over #5 Duke, including 4 for 4 in the final 46 seconds • Scored six second-half points in the win at Florida State • Driving layup evened the game for the first time at 53-all, baseline jumper gave UNC its first lead at 57-55 and free throws with 17 seconds to play helped clinch the win • Matched his previous ACC scoring high with six points and had two assists in win over NC State • Had three assists and no turnovers and went 4 for 4 from the line in the final 1:26 at Georgia Tech • Played 22 minutes (14 in the second half) and was on the floor for a key stretch when Carolina built a 10-point lead • Hit his second three-pointer of the season in the win over Clemson.

Pre-ACC Highlights: Six second-half assists vs. UNCW • Scored six of his 11 points in overtime against Davidson and played exceptional defense in the OT against Wildcat top scorer Brian Sullivan (one field goal, no threes in the OT) Season-high seven assists vs. Texas Had eight points and two steals in win over Kentucky Followed strong outing at Michigan State with 11 points and four assists vs. UNCG Posted season highs in points (13) and rebounds (6) in the win at #1 Michigan State Made three first-half field goals and 7 for 8 from the free throw line in the final 4:46 Had nine points and five assists in the win over #3 Louisville Won his first defensive player of the game award in the win over Louisville Totaled 12 points in the first four games, then scored on three drives to the basket against the Cardinals Had three steals vs. Richmond Made his first three-pointer in the loss to Belmont Started his first game as a Tar Heel at point guard and had four points, three assists and four steals vs. Oakland Became the 30th Tar Heel and ninth point guard to start his first college game.

PREP
Attended Oak Hill Academy as a senior and played for coach Steve Smith • Missed two months of his senior season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee • Had surgery on Dec. 26, 2012, and returned to action in early February • Averaged 6.7 points and 5.0 assists in 25 games for Oak Hill • Played three seasons at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where he played for coach Steve Turner • Washington Post first-team all-Met as a sophomore and second-team as a junior • Played for the U-18 USA team in 2012 and competed in Brazil • Was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington, D.C., in 2011 • Also played three years of soccer and football.

PERSONAL
Born Nathaniel C. Britt II • Birthday is Jan. 13 • Born in Washington, D.C. • Son of Nathaniel and Melody Britt • His brother, Kris Jenkins, plays for Villanova • Majoring in management and society • Chose jersey #0 to prove people who think he’s a zero are wrong • Favorite former Tar Heels were Kendall Marshall and Ty Lawson • Would love to have Russell Westbrook’s athleticism • Also talented at football and soccer.

nate-britt-2017-draft-prospect

Nate Britt: 2017 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-3
Weight: 184
Position: SG
College: Indiana
Age: 22

PPG: 17.0
RPG: 4.8
APG: 1.9
BLK: 0.0
STL: 0.7

2016-17 (Junior)
THIRD TEAM ALL-BIG TEN (Media) ... HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN (coaches) ... named National Player of the Week (NBCSports.com) and Big Ten Player of the Week on two occasions (Nov. 14, Jan. 23) ... was on the preseason watch list for the Naismith Award and Wendy’s Wooden Award ...  one of 10 finalists for the Jerry West Award given to the top shooting guard in the country ... became the 50th player in IU history to surpass 1,000 career points scored ... played in 30 games and missed four games due to injury ... lead IU in scoring (511) and 3-point field goals made (91) ... the 91 3-point field goals made ranks second all-time in IU single-season history ... scored in double figures in 28 of 30 games and scored 20 or more points on 11 occasions ... scored double figures in 12 of the 13 non-conference games he played in ... tallied 26 points and six rebounds in the season-opening win over Kansas ... added 23 points and seven rebounds in game two against UMass Lowell (5-of-9 3FG) and then followed it up with 20 points in the third game of the year against Liberty (5-of-10 3FG) ... scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds against North Carolina ... was 9-of-15 from the field on his way to 26 points against Butler at Bankers Life Fieldhouse ... posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds against Louisville ... connected on 5-of-9 from 3-point range on his way to 25 points in a win over Illinois ... added 22 points at Maryland ... matched his career high with 33 points on 6-of-10 shooting from long range against Michigan State ... dropped 22 points and hauled down six boards at Minnesota ... in the regular season finale, he scored 22 points and had eight rebounds at Ohio State ... went for 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament ... registered 17 points and eight rebounds against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament.

2015-16 (Sophomore)
Played in 13 games, and made 12 starts ... averaged 15.8 points and 4.2 rebounds ... missed the remainder of the season after knee surgery on Jan. 5 ... scored double figures in 11 of the 13 non-conference games he played in ... tallied 17 points and seven rebounds in the season-opening win over Eastern Illinois ... dropped 20 points on Austin Peay ... registered third straight double-figure scoring output with 19 points and seven boards in the win over Creighton ... poured in a career high 33 points on 6-9 from the 3PT line against Alcorn State ... logged 15 points, five rebounds and two steals in the win over Morehead State ... tallied 24 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in the win over McNeese State ... scored 11 points to go along with eight rebounds in the comeback win over Notre Dame ... added 19 points and three assists in the victory over Kennesaw State.

2014-15 (Freshman)
Big Ten Rankings (All Games)
Scoring - 8th (15.7)
Rebounding - 19th (5.3)
Free Throw % - 8th (0.806)
3-pt FG made - 6th (2.3)

Big Ten Rankings (Conference Only)
Scoring - 13th (14.1)
Rebounding - 19th (5.4)
Free Throw % - 14th (0.776)
3-pt FG made -9th (2)

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN ... Was sixth among all freshmen in the country in scoring (15.7) ... ranked second on the team in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (5.3) ... made 77 3-point field goals this season to set a new IU record for a freshman, surpassing Eric Gordon's previous mark of 70 set in 2007-08 ... registered 10 games of 20+ points ... reached double figures in the scoring column in 26 of 33 games played this season ... 2-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Nov. 24, Jan. 12) ... opened his career with 25 points in the season opener against Mississippi Valley State ... scored a regular season high 26 points in a win over No. 22 SMU while also adding seven rebounds ... dropped 21 points to go with six rebounds against Lamar ... scored 24 points and had nine rebounds against UNCG ... logged 18 points in three straight games against Savannah State, No. 4 Louisville and Grand Canyon ... poured in 22 points (6-12 3FG) while adding seven rebounds and two steals against Georgetown ... in a win over Ohio State, he scored 18 points and hauled in seven rebounds ... scored 21 points in a win at Illinois ... helped the Hoosiers to a win over Maryland with 22 points ... contributed 20 points in a win versus Rutgers ... posted 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the win against Michigan ... his top Big Ten scoring output game against Minnesota, when he dropped 24 points, including 6-of-10 from behind the arc, in an IU win ... in the game at Northwestern, he scored just six points but added six rebounds and a season-best four assists ... in the final two games of the regular season, he score 14 points against Iowa and 17 points against Michigan State ... had 25 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the Big Ten Tournament against Northwestern, including 5 three-pointers made .. six points and five rebounds against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals ... tallied 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament against Wichita State.

Canada Trip (Summer 2014)
Started all five games during the trip to Canada ... averaged a team-high 18.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game ... in game one against Laval had 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals ... had 20 points, led the team with five rebounds and three assists against Ottawa ... scored 19 points and had two assists against Carleton ... against McGill he scored a team-high 21 points grabbed five rebounds and two steals ... scored 21, had two rebounds and dished out four assists against UQAM.

Prep/Personal
Played for his father, James Blackmon, at Marion High School for his senior year ... scored 2,387 points in his high school career, leaving him eighth all-time in Indiana high school history ... averaged 33.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior ... ranked No. 19 in recruiting class by ESPN, No. 23 by Rivals.com, No. 31 by 247Sports and No. 33 by Scout.com ... was named McDonald's All-American, becoming the 28th IU recruit to play in the game, where he scored 13 points ... tallied 23 points, three rebounds and four assists in addition to winning the 3-point contest at the Jordan Brand Classic ... appeared in the Nike Hoope Summit for Team USA ... garnered 2014 Parade All-American honors ... played his first three seasons at Fort Wayne Bishop Luers High School, averaging 33.3 points per game as a junior ... competed on the AAU circuit with Spiece Indy Heat and head coach Todd Hensley ... parents are James and Sailaja Blackmon ... has two younger brothers, Vijay and Jalen ... his father graduated from Marion High School in 1983 and went on play four years at the University of Kentucky, where he scored 866 points ... he was runner-up for Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1983 and scored 21 points in the McDonald's All-American game ... born April 25, 1995.

james-blackmon-jr-2017-draft-prospect

James Blackmon, Jr.: 2017 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-7
Weight: 213
Position: SF
College: Pittsburgh
Age: 24

PPG: 18.2
RPG: 4.9
APG: 3.3
BLK: 0.3
STL: 0.4

Player BioCourtesy of Pittsburgh Athletics

The Storyline: A combination point forward who will be looked upon to assume a larger play-making role under Kevin Stallings ... One of the top returning forwards in the ACC after averaging in double figures each of the past two seasons ... Enters his final season at Pitt with 1,114 points, 471 rebounds and 198 assists in 103 career games (67 starts) ... has started 67 consecutive games for the Panthers ...Tough, versatile performer, who has excelled on the inside and on the perimeter ... rugged, playmaking forward who can hit jumpers from the perimeter, put the ball on the floor or bang down low ... Limitless talent with the ability to be one of the top scorers in the ACC ... Possesses a high basketball IQ on both ends of the floor ... Strong ball handler with excellent court vision ... can create scoring opportunities for himself as well as setup his teammates ... Toughness and strength allow him to be a good rebounder on both ends of the floor ... Well-rounded skill set makes him a real matchup problem on the offensive end of the court ... has the strength to overpower less physically mature forwards on the interior and the shooting range and ball skills to pull larger forwards away from the basket ... Active defender who can create havoc in the passing lanes and bother perimeter shooters with his length ... Competes hard in all facets of the game and has only scratched the surface of his ability ... Expected to thrive in an up-tempo system built around ball movement, precise cuts and constant motion ... Quiet off the court but continues to evolve and find his voice as one of the team leaders on the court ... Combines with Michael Young to give Pitt one of the top inside-outside forward combinations in the country ... the duo combined to average 30.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last year ... One of four returning players in the ACC who have earned all-conference honors ... was a third team all-league selection by the coaches in 2014-15

2015-16: One of two players to start all 33 games … averaged 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game ... ranked 20th in the ACC in scoring .. Shot 47.0 percent (165-of-351) from the field, including 36.3 percent (49-of-135) from behind the arc … also shot 78.0 percent (96-of-123) from the foul line ... Scored in double figures 25 times with five games with 20 or more points scored ... led the Panthers in scoring 14 times  ... Registered five or more rebounds 17 times and three or more assists in 21 games ... led the team in rebounds five times ... also led the team in assists on five occassions ... One of four players in the ACC to average at least 14 points, four rebounds and three assists per game ... Averaged 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in conference play ... ranked 23rd in scoring and 24th in rebounds ... Led the team with 13 points against Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament, 3/18 ... also had five rebounds and a steal ... Scored a team-high 19 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists in the ACC Tournament against No. 7 North Carolina, 3/10 ... Posted 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in an ACC Tournament win over Syracuse, 3/9 ... Had 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a win over No. 15 Duke, 2/28 ... Recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the win at Syracuse, 2/20… also had four assists while going 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from the foul line ... Tallied 19 points and seven rebounds while going 6-of-6 from the foul line in the double-overtime win against Wake Forest, 2/16 ... Went 7-of-11 from the field in a 17-point effort against No. 9 Virginia, 2/6 ... Helped Pitt overcome a 10-point halftime deficit in a road win over Florida State, 1/23 ... finished with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists ... Had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists against NC State, 1/19 ... Posted 22-point performance against Boston College, 1/16 ... went 8-of-12 from the field, inlcuding 4-of-6 from three-point range ... Knocked down a career-best five three-point field goals and finished with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists at Notre Dame, 1/9 ... Registered 18 points, four rebounds and five assists in a win over Georgia Tech, 1/6 ... Posted a near triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in ACC opening win over Syracuse, 12/30 ... Scored a season-high 29 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists against Western Carolina, 12/23 ... went 10-of-14 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the win ... Went 6-of-9 from the field and 10-of-11 from the foul line for 22 points in a win over Morehead State, 12/13 ... Scored 17 points in just 19 minutes of action against Central Arkansas, 12/6 ... knocked down a pair of three-point field goals and was 6-of-9 from the field ... Tallied 19 points while going 8-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three point range, versus Kent State, 11/28 ... Recorded 21 points, five rebounds and four assists in the home win against Cornell, 11/25 ... Went 6-of-9 from the field in a 15-point effort against Detroit, 11/20.

2014-15: Named third team All-ACC (coaches) ... Also an honorable mention All-ACC selection (media) One of three players to start all 34 games ... Averaged a team-high 13.6 points along with 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game ... Shot 46.9 percent (160-of-341) from the field, including 39.4 percent (39-of-99) from three-point range ... Also shot 79.5 percent (105-of-132) from the free throw line ... Ranked among the ACC leaders in scoring (T-15th), rebounds (T-18th) and free throw percentage (7th) ... Raised his scoring average by 8.7 points per game from his freshman season ... Posted the fourth-best scoring jump in the ACC ... Scored in double figures 25 times, including the final 18 games of the season ... Led the Panthers in scoring 15 times ... Topped the 20-point mark eight times, including a career-best 32 points against Bryant, 2/2 ... Boosted his averages to 16.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in league play ... Scored in double figures in 16 games with six 20-point efforts ... Grabbed five or more rebounds 25 times with a pair of double-figure rebounding games ... Had 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists in the opening round of the NIT against George Washington, 3/17 ... Went 6-of-10 from the field in a 17-point effort at Florida State, 3/7 ... Recorded 19 points and nine rebounds at Wake Forest, 3/1, inclduing hitting 4-of-5 from three-point range ... Tallied 24 points, eight rebounds and two assists in a win over Boston College, 2/24 ... Was 7-of-13 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line Registered 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a win at Syracuse, 2/21 ... Had 20 points and eight rebounds at No. 2 Virginia, 2/16 ... Posted 11 points, five rebounds and five assists in a home win over No. 12 North Carolina, 2/14 ... Recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a home win over Syracuse, 2/7, and also had five assists and three steals, while going 7-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line ... Scored a career-high 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from the foul line against Bryant, 2/2, where he also added six rebounds, two assists, one block and three steals ... Guided the Panthers to a win over No. 8 Notre Dame with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals ... Went 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe ... Had 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists at Virginia Tech, 1/27 ... Posted 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals vs. No. 10 Louisville, 1/25 ... Scored 21 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists at No. 4 Duke, 1/19, where he went 7-of-10 from the field ... Had 20 points and five rebounds in a win over Georgia Tech, 1/17 ... Tallied 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting vs. Florida State, 1/14 ... Had 13 points and five rebounds at NC State, 1/3 ... Went 6-of-10 from the field in a win over Holy Cross, 12/23 and finished with 13 points and nine rebounds ... Finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks against Manhattan, 12/17 ... Had 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and a career-best four blocks vs. St. Bonaventure, 12/13 ... Registered nine points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a win over Duquesne, 12/5 ... Had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists against Kansas State in the EA Sports Maui Invitational, 11/26 ... Scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds against Samford, 11/16 ... Opened the season with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists vs. Niagara, 11/14, while going 6-of-9 from the field in the win

2013-14: Named to the All-ACC Academic Team ... Played in all 36 games off the bench at power forward ... Averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 assists per game, while shooting 46.0 percent (58-of-126) from the field ... Scored in double figures twice with six games of five or more rebounds ... Finished with seven points (3-of-8 FG) in the third round of the NCAA Tournament vs. Florida, 3/22 ... Scored seven points (3-of-4 FG) with two assists in an NCAA Tournament win over Colorado, 3/20 ... Scored seven points (3-of-6 FG) vs. NC State, 3/3 ... Finished with seven points (2-of-4 FG) at Boston College, 2/26 ... Scored a season-high 13 points (4-of-6 FG) and converted 5-of-7 free throws with a career-high tying seven rebounds in 20 minutes at North Carolina, 2/15 ... Set then season-highs for points (11), field goal attempts (7), free throws and attempts (5-of-7), rebounds (7) and minutes played (24) vs. Virginia, 2/2 .. Finished with eight points (2-of-3 3FG) vs. Duke, 1/27 ... Scored eight points, all in the first half, on 2-of-5 FG and a season-high tying 4-of-4 free throws with six rebounds at Maryland, 1/25 ... Finished with eight points (4-of-6 FG) with a career-high seven rebounds vs. Loyola Marymount, 12/6 ... Scored seven points (3-of-5 FG) and grabbed three rebounds in 20 minutes vs. Lehigh, 11/20 ... Finished with nine points (3-of-3 FG, 3-of-4 FT) and five rebounds vs. Fresno State, 11/12

HIGH SCHOOL: Played a postgraduate season at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass. for head coach Ryan Hurd ... Earned All New England Prep School Athletic Conference honors and Second Class 2A all-state honors after averaging 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game in 2012-13 ... Guided the Crusaders to the National Prep Championship semifinals at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. ... Dropped a 63-60 semifinal matchup to Northfield Mount Hermon where he scored nine points ... Notre Dame Prep defeated No. 1 ranked Massanutten Military Academy 78-76 in first round action ... Also played one season (2011-12) and graduated from Vermont Academy, located in Saxton River, Vt., for head coach Jesse Bopp ... Earned first team Vermont all-state honors ... Also played wide receiver for the Vermont Academy football team ... Played at St. Benedict's Prep in 2010-11, averaging 12.0 points per game while leading the Gray Bees to a 13-12 record ... Played his freshman and sophomore seasons of basketball at Baltimore Dunbar High School ... Led the Poets to the Class 1A state title as a sophomore ... Competed for the Nike Baltimore Elite AAU Team for head coach Carlton "Bub" Carrington ... Guided Baltimore Elite to a 5-0 record at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in Torrance, Calif. after averaging 7.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game ... Led team to a berth in the Orlando Super Showcase championship during the summer of 2010 ... Played in the Peach Jam Classic in North Augusta, S.C. ... Named one of the top-10 players outside of the Rivals150 ... Attended the Lebron James Skills Academy

PERSONAL: Born Jamel Artis on January 12, 1993 ... Son of Kevin Artis ... Former roommate of fellow Pitt signee Michael Young at St. Benedict's Prep (2010-11) ... Committed to Pitt on April 12, 2013 prior to his official visit to Pittsburgh, citing that he "loved" the coaching staff and that it was the "perfect" fit for him ... Played at same prep school, Notre Dame Prep, as former Pitt players Steven Adams and Carl Krauser ... Also considered Kansas State, LaSalle, Miami, Fla., South Carolina, NC State, Rutgers, South Florida, Dayton and Connecticut and had interest from Providence, Maryland, Louisville, Georgetown, Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Texas ... Majoring in communication

jamel-artis-2017-draft-prospect

Jamel Artis: 2017 Draft Prospect

The Pacers will hold their ninth pre-draft workout in preparation for the 2017 NBA Draft on Saturday, June 17.

The six players scheduled to participate in workouts are Jamel Artis (Pitt), James Blackmon, Jr. (Indiana), Nate Britt (North Carolina), John Collins (Wake Forest), Billy Garrett (DePaul), and Harry Giles (Duke).

The 2017 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Pacers own two picks in this year's draft, one pick in both the first and second rounds, the 18th and 47th overall selections.

PROSPECT BIOS: Artis »    Blackmon, Jr. »   Britt »   Collins »   Garrett »   Giles »

2017 Pre‑Draft Workouts