Daniel Gafford

Wheat Hotchkiss

Bruno Fernando and Daniel Gafford never faced off against each other in college, but the two 6-10 centers have become well acquainted with each other over the last month. Both Fernando and Gafford declared for the 2019 NBA Draft after their sophomore seasons (at Maryland and Arkansas, respectively) and have run into one another frequently over the past few weeks.

They went head-to-head during a workout for the Pistons on May 21, met up again at a workout for the Hawks on June 3, and squared off once more on Thursday at the St. Vincent Center.

"It's been good," Fernando said of the matchup. "We're kind of getting to know each other's games. We're kind of getting to know each other's moves on the post and stuff like that.

Their head-to-head workouts add an extra layer of intrigue as Fernando and Gafford are projected to be taken in roughly the same range in the draft, which will be held a week from Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Most mock drafts have the two big men going in the late first or early second round, often within a few picks of one another.

2019 DRAFT CENTRAL: Complete Coverage at Pacers.com/Draft »

Fernando, a native of Angola, tested the draft waters a year ago before opting to return to Maryland for his sophomore season. That proved to be a wise decision, as he improved his numbers across the board last season.

After averaging 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game as a freshman, Fernando upped his averages to 13.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks as a sophomore.

"It developed a lot," Fernando said about his game over the last year. "I think just a lot of aspects of my game — just being comfortable on the court, knowing the plays, and my feel for the game is so much better. Being able to do little things on the court like passing the ball out of double teams (and) really giving me the ability to space the floor and develop my jump shot."

Fernando has the build to play in the NBA right away. At the NBA Draft Combine last month in Chicago, he measured at a sturdy 237 pounds and just 5.4 percent body fat. He has a soft touch in the post, can finish with both hands, and racked up 21 double-doubles last season at Maryland.

"I think my ability to rebound is really something that's going to translate to the next level right away," Fernando said Thursday. "I think I was able to dominate the boards at the college level, so I feel like going to the NBA, it's one thing (where) I'm really going to excel."

Gafford is a different build than Fernando. The Arkansas native loves to run the floor and relies heavily on his explosive leaping ability. Gafford had a 36.5-inch vertical jump at the Combine, tied with Georgia's Nicolas Claxton for the highest vertical of any center.

That leaping ability comes in handy on both ends for Gafford, who thrives in transition and in the pick-and-roll offensively, where he averaged 16.9 points and shot 66 percent from the floor as a sophomore. Defensively, Gafford is a shot-blocking menace who averaged over two blocks per game over the course of his college career.

"Running the floor, teams need bigs that run the floor," Gafford said when asked how he can help a team at the next level. "That's the main thing...I feel like I can come in and give as much energy as I possibly can to the team. Just come in and be that guy that's high-energy from the beginning to the end."

Maryland's Bruno Fernando (dunking on the left) and Arkansas' Daniel Gafford (dunking on the right) both possess skillsets that could make them first-round picks in next week's NBA Draft. (Photo Credit: @Pacers)

While Fernando tested the waters a year ago, Gafford did not go through the pre-draft process despite being projected as a potential first-round pick after a breakout freshman season where he won SEC Freshman of the Week honors three times. He earned first-team All-SEC and honorable mention All-America honors as a sophomore and expressed no regrets about the decision to return to school.

"I feel like it benefited me a lot because I came back to school (and) got another year under my belt," Gafford said. "I got some more experience taking a step into a leadership role."

One thing that could hurt both Gafford and Fernando is their lack of a developed 3-point shot. Gafford did not attempt a single three in his college career, while Fernando attempted just 13. That wouldn't have been seen as a major negative a few years ago, but even centers are now expected to stretch the floor in the modern NBA game.

The media is present for shooting drills at the end of every pre-draft workout. Fernando and Gafford were the only two prospects to date who were not attempting shots from beyond the 3-point arc, instead focusing on their mid-range game.

Fernando might have the better potential to develop an outside shot quickly. He shot just under 78 percent from the free throw line last season, while Gafford failed to eclipse 60 percent in either of his two seasons at Arkansas.

With the draft just a week away, both Fernando and Gafford have felt the anticipation building. It would be particularly special for Fernando to hear his name called, as he would be the first Angolan-born ever drafted.

"It would mean a lot," Fernando said. "I'll kind of just start thinking back (to) everything I've been through ever since I picked up a basketball.

"To be able to now be in this position...if you told me two years ago I would be in this position to be the first Angolan ever drafted I would never believe (it). Just to see all the hard work I've put in throughout the years really paying off...and just hearing my name called, man, it's going to be a feeling that I can't explain."

For Gafford, Draft night is simply the start of his journey.

"It's going to mean my work has paid off, but the work is just now beginning," he said. "...You're going to have fun that night, (but) the next day, you've got to hit the ground running because you're trying to boost your career to where you can stay in the league."

Florida State wing Terance Mann could be an option for Indiana in the second round of the draft. (Photo Credit: @Pacers)

Last month, David McClure, the Pacers' Assistant Coach for Player Development, had the opportunity to coach one of the teams in the scrimmage portion of the NBA Draft Combine. McClure coached Team 2 in a pair of scrimmages in Chicago.

While higher-profile players typically sit out the scrimmages (Fernando and Gafford did not participate, for example), other players use the five-on-five action as an opportunity to attempt to potentially boost their stock.

Over the past week, the Pacers have brought in a number of prospects who played for McClure at the combine. Nevada guard Cody Martin worked out for the Pacers last Thursday, while Croatian forward Luka Šamanić had an individual workout on Tuesday.

Two more players from McClure's combine team visited Indiana on Thursday, though only one was able to work out.

LSU guard Tremont Waters sprained his right ankle late in the second scrimmage in Chicago and has been unable to work out since, but traveled to Indianapolis to meet with the Pacers on Thursday (for more on Waters, check out Mark Montieth's latest story).

Florida State's Terance Mann, meanwhile, worked out for McClure and the Pacers on Thursday. Mann is a 6-6 wing who averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for the Seminoles as a senior last season.

Mann is best known for his tough-nosed defense, something that should help him earn a roster spot in the NBA.

Offensively, he is not a dynamic scorer, but possesses enough all-around skill to help his team in a number of ways, whether that's handling the ball or setting screens to free up his teammates. In the scrimmages at the combine, he compiled 11 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists over his two games.

"Just be able to make the right plays," Mann said of what he can bring to an NBA team. "Kind of like an Andre Iguodala-type, always out there making the right decisions, knocking down open shots, getting in the paint and finding people, offensive rebounding, stuff like that."

Mann struggled with his outside shot for most of his college career. He only attempted a total of 36 3-pointers over his first two years on campus, then took more attempts as a junior but converted a paltry 25 percent.

He showed marked improvement as a senior, when he went 30-for-77 (39 percent) from beyond the arc and also raised his free throw percentage from .655 to .790. Mann said he went to the gym three times a day over the past year to get up shots and fine-tune his stroke.

Sandy Cohen III led Wisconsin-Green Bay in all five major statistical categories last season. (Photo Credit: @Pacers)

Cohen Hoping All-Around Game is Ticket to NBA

Sandy Cohen III was a late bloomer in college. He played a minimal role in two-plus seasons at Marquette before opting to transfer to Wisconsin-Green Bay early in his junior season.

Cohen finally found a home with the Phoenix and enjoyed a standout senior season. The 6-5 guard led Green Bay in all five major statistical categories as a senior, averaging 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.9 steals while helping his school to a 21-17 record and a run to the championship game in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

He did all that with pretty solid efficiency, attempting over 12 shots per game but still shooting 47.5 percent from the field.

Cohen's all-around versatility could make him an intriguing option for an NBA team.

"I think that's one of my biggest upsides is that I can do a lot of things on the court," Cohen said Thursday. "I'm very versatile and I hope teams get a chance to see that."

Workouts are of extra importance to Cohen. While he put up big numbers after transferring, they came against a lower level of competition in the Horizon League, so scouts will want to see how he holds up against higher-level competition.

One player at Thursday's workout was making his second visit to Indiana. Jaylen Nowell, a 6-4 combo guard from Washington, attended the Pacers' first pre-draft workout on May 21.

The fact that the Pacers brought the Pac-12 Player of the Year for a second workout may or may not mean anything. It could mean they have extra interest in him or it could simply mean they needed to add another wing to Thursday's group and Nowell was available.

The Pacers have had a handful of prospects in for two workouts in recent years.

The most notable example is Solomon Hill, who they wound up taking with the 23rd pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Davon Reed worked out twice for Indiana in 2017 and was drafted by Phoenix, but the Pacers signed him to a two-way contract when the Suns waived him last fall. Last summer, the Pacers worked out Creighton guard Marcus Foster twice, but Foster went undrafted and spent last season playing professionally in Korea.

Nowell said on Thursday he had a positive impression of the Pacers from his first visit to Indiana.

"It's just real down-to-earth people in the staff (and) just around here in general," he said. "(It's) a great place to play. There's not many distractions and that's a great thing for guys who want to just come in and grind and get better."

workouts-starting-to-have-familiar-feel-for-fernando-gafford

Workouts Starting to Have Familiar Feel for Fernando, Gafford

nbaplatformservices

2019-draft-workouts-daniel-gafford

2019 Draft Workouts: Daniel Gafford

admin

Height: 6-10
Weight: 237
Position: C
College: Arkansas
Age: 20

2018-2019 Season Stats
PPG: 16.9
RPG: 8.7
APG: 0.7
BLK: 2.2
STL: 0.5

CAREER HONORS
2019 AP ALL-AMERICA HONORABLE MENTION...2019 CollegeInsider.com LEFTY DRIESELL DEFENSIVE ALL-AMERICA TEAM...2019 FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC (Coaches and Media, just 6th Razorback to be consensus 1st Team)...2019 SEC ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM (just 2nd Razorback to be 1st Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive)...2019 ALL-DISTRICT — USBWA DISTRICT VII | NABC DISTRICT 21 (2nd Team) | Basketball Times All-Midlands...2019 KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR AWARD TOP 10 FINALIST...2019 2x SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK...2019 SPORTING NEWS MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN...2019 PRESEASON 1ST TEAM ALL-SEC (Coaches and Media)...2019 PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE: Wooden Award • Citizen Naismith Trophy • Lute Olson Award...2018 SEC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM...2018 3x SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Career field goal percentage of .635 is second-best in school history...Career blocked shots total of 141 is sixth-best in school history...Of Gafford’s career 378 field goals made, 43 percent (163 total) were dunks...Voted a captain for the 2018-19 season.

2018-19 (So.) HIGHLIGHTS:
Voted AP All-America Honorable Mention and selected to the CollegeInsider.com Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team...Named first team All-SEC by the Coaches and Media to become just the sixth Razorback to be a consensus first team pick...Named SEC All-Defensive Team to become just the second Razorback to be named first team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive in the same season...Named All-District by USBWA (1st Team) and NABC (2nd Team)...Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award top 10 finalist (top center in the nation)...Scored in double figures 28 times and pulled down double digits in rebounds 13 times...Ranked sixth in the NCAA and first in the SEC in field goal percentage (.660) …. 95 percentage points better than second place (Tennessee’s Grant Williams)...One of two players in the NCAA to shoot at least 60 percent and average at least 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots … Also, one of five players in the NCAA to shoot over 60 percent while averaging over 15 points and 8 rebounds...Gafford was the only player in the SEC to rank among the league’s top 5 (or top 10 for that matter) in scoring (4th, 16.9), rebounding (2nd, 8.7), blocked shots (3rd, 2.03), offensive rebounds (2nd, 2.84) and defensive rebounds (3rd, 5.81) … Was the only player to rank among the league’s top seven in both offensive and defensive rebounds...Twice earned SEC Player of the Week honors (Nov. 19 and Mar. 11)...FIRST: Had a then-career high 27 points and then career-high 12 rebounds vs. Indiana … Scored 19, second-half points while grabbing seven rebounds and getting two steals … Was 9-for-10 shooting in the period while the rest of the team was just 5-of-23 and scored 16 points … Three times in within the final 11 minutes, Indiana took a one-point lead and, each time, Gafford answered to put the Razorbacks back on top...SECOND: (shared honor with USC’s Chris Silva) … Led the Razorbacks to 2-0 record and had perhaps his best career game … Averaged a double-double (24.5 points and 10 rebounds for the wek) … Scored a game-high 20 points at Vanderbilt, missing just three shots and blocking four shots, and game-high 29 versus Alabama … Versus Alabama, recorded his 10th double-double as he grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds and he scored 29 points, his second-best career output … Had a double-double (11 points and 12 rebounds) in the first half alone and became just the third player in the NCAA this season to have as many as 29 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and two assists in a game. Was responsible for Arkansas’ first 11 points (scored six and assisted on five) and later scored 10-straight points in the second half...Team-best 151 deflections, including 10 at Colorado State, nine vs. Austin Peay and seven on three occasions...Had a double-double in the opener versus Texas with 20 points and 12 rebounds, which tied a career high at the time...Was 8-for-8 from the field versus Montana State (scoring 16 points) with seven rebounds … Tied his own and others school record for best FG% in a game (8 attempts minimum)...Registered third double-double —21 points and 12 rebounds — versus FIU, adding four blocked shots...Fourth double-double came versus UTSA, scoring 13 points with a then career-high 14 rebounds … Had 11 points and eight boards in the second half … Added two blocked shots...Fifth double-double consisted of 19 points and 10 rebounds versus Texas State … Added two blocked shots … Made nine free throws and set career high with 14 free throw attempts … Also played a career-high 35 minutes...For second straight game, had a double-double vs. Austin Peay (16 pts and 10 rebs) while once again playing career-high 35 minutes … Also tied carer high with three steals and added four blocked shots … Overall, had nine deflections...Battled foul trouble at Texas A&M&lt; but still recorded his third straight double-double, getting 11 points and 11 rebounds...Scored a career-high 32 points vs. LSU on 14-of-19 shooting, including a dunk with 30 seconds left to force overtime...Posted eighth double-double versus Missouri (13 and 10) … Had an off-balanced shot at the buzzer to cut deficit to two at halftime that spurred second-half comeback … Played 35 minutes with zero fouls...Went 7-for-7 from the field at #13 Texas Tech and led the team in scoring (16)) … Battled foul trouble in the first half, played seven minutes with two points … Played 19 minutes in second half and made all six FG...Scored a game-high 23 points at LSU, making 11-of-15 from the field … Added eight rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals … Scored 15 in the first half to lead the Razorbacks to a 45-41 advantage at the break...Had game-high 28 points vs Vandy, making 9-of-14 FG and career-high 10 free throws (12 attempts) … Had three assists, career-high in SEC game … Added nine rebounds … Scored first five points of second half...At Missouri, scored team’s first 10 points and finished with 26 on 12-of-17 shooting … Added eight rebounds and two blocked shots...Posted ninth double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds in home loss to Texas A&M … Was 5-of-5 from the field in the 2nd half … 13 rebounds is second-best career total...At #4 Kentucky, scored 14 points with eight rebonds and two blocked shots … Battled foul trouble in the first half and had seven rebounds in the second half, including five offensive...Led team with 15 points (6-of-9 shooting) and six rebounds versus Florida in the SEC Tournament.

2017-18 (Fr.) HIGHLIGHTS:
Named to SEC All-Freshman Team by league coaches...Was the first Arkansas freshman in program history to record 400 points, 200 rebounds and 60 blocks in a season (@HogStats)...Ranked 22nd nationally and second in the SEC with 76 blocked shots...Shot 60.5 percent from the field, which would have ranked 14th nationally and tops in the SEC but he did not meet the NCAA minimum of making five shots per game (averaged 4.7)...Named SEC Freshman of the Week three times … Was only SEC freshman to receive the weekly honor three times and became just the third Razorback to earn the honor multiple times (Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverley)...FIRST (Dec. 11): Combined to make 13-of-17 field goals versus Colorado State (5-of-9 for 14 points) and Minnesota (8-of-8 for 16 points) with a total of 13 rebounds...SECOND (Jan. 22): Posted 14 points and 11 rebounds in loss at Florida, before scoring 15 points with nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks in a win over Ole Miss...THIRD (Feb. 19): In wins at Ole Miss (6-of-7 FG and 7-of-10 FT for 19 points and six rebounds) and versus Texas A&M (7-of-8 shooting for 18 points and six rebounds)...Threw down 75 dunks in 35 games which were more than six other SEC teams and one shy of another league member...Tallied three double-doubles, including 16 and 12 versus Florida in the SEC Tournament, 21 and 10 versus No. 14 Auburn and 14 and 11 at Florida...Just missed a triple-double against Vanderbilt, recording 16 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots...The 21 points versus Auburn was his best output in a league game as he had season highs in both field goals made (10) and attempted (15) … Also tied his career-high seven blocks versus Auburn, which are tied for most rejections in a regular season SEC game in school history...Had 12 rebounds, including a season-best 10 on the defensive end, versus Cal State Bakersfield...Poured in a season-high 25 points (9-of-11 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from the line) vs. Fresno State...Scored double digits in each of his first four collegiate games and had a total of 22 games in double digits in his rookie campaign.

Prior to Arkansas:
Ranked as the top player in the state of Arkansas and the No. 11 power forward in the nation by 247Sports.com … Rated as a four-star player by ESPN, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and Future150.com … A consensus top 50 player, rated as high as No. 33 in the 2017 class by Rivals.com … Two-time All-State selection … Led the Wildcats to a 28-5 record and a trip to the 6A State title game as a senior … Averaged 17.4 points, 16 rebounds, 7.7 blocks, 2.5 steals and 1.4 assists per game as a senior … Tallied 11 triple-doubles and 18 double-doubles in his final year at El Dorado … Had 10-plus blocks in 11 games … Pulled down 10-plus rebounds in 31 games, including seven games of 20 or more boards and one 30-rebound performance.

Personal
Born on Oct. 1, 1998, in El Dorado … Son of Wayne Gafford and Teresa Frazier … Has four siblings … Majoring in sport management.

Daniel Gafford

Workouts Starting to Have Familiar Feel for Fernando, Gafford

2019 Draft Workouts: Daniel Gafford

Daniel Gafford: 2019 Draft Prospect