JaKeenan Gant

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The Indiana Pacers announced Monday they have signed forward Brian Bowen II to a two-way contract. In addition, the Pacers signed forward JaKeenan Gant and guard C.J. Wilcox to Exhibit 10 contracts.

Bowen played professionally in Australia during the 2018-19 for the Sydney Kings. He averaged 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 30 games played.

Gant played collegiately at the University of Louisiana and was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference. He averaged 20.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game as a senior in 2018-19.

Wilcox signed a two-way contract with the Pacers in August 2018 before suffering a torn right Achilles tendon prior to training camp. He was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 28th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Wilcox last appeared for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League during the 2017-18 season, averaging 10.4 points per game and shooting 45.1 percent from the field.

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Indiana Pacers Sign Bowen, Gant and Wilcox

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The last 11 weeks have been a whirlwind for the 19-year-old guard from Milwaukee.

Since his freshman season at Kentucky came to a heartbreaking end when the Wildcats fell in overtime to Auburn in the Elite Eight in Kansas City on March 31, Herro has bounced across the country as he prepares for the NBA Draft, working out for and interviewing with a number of teams with draft selections in the middle of the first round.

Herro auditioned for the Pacers on Friday morning at the St. Vincent Center and will visit Minnesota on Saturday. After that, he can exhale and have a few days to rest before heading to Brooklyn for the draft on Thursday night.

"It's a long process, traveling city to city, staying by yourself, and things like that," Herro said. "It's an enjoyable process but I'm happy it's going to come to an end.

"I'm ready to just know what city I'm going to, really."

There is seemingly a good possibility that Herro will be looking into real estate in Indianapolis in a week's time, at least if you believe what you read on the internet. A number of the latest mock drafts have the 6-6 guard headed to the Pacers with the 18th overall pick.

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

Herro fits a definite need for the Pacers with his ability to stretch the floor. Indiana ranked fifth in the NBA a year ago in 3-point percentage but was 29th in 3-point attempts, a number that will have to improve in a league that increasingly values outside shooting.

The Pacers also could be looking to re-stock their backcourt. All-Star guard Victor Oladipo is coming off of major surgery to repair a ruptured quad tendon and it is uncertain if he will be ready for the start of the season. Fellow guards Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, and Wesley Matthews are all entering free agency, as is small forward Bojan Bogdanovic, Indiana's best outside shooter and go-to offensive option after Oladipo's injury.

Herro was the second-leading scorer on a loaded Kentucky team that featured three probable first-round picks in this year's draft. He led the Wildcats in minutes played, averaging 14 points per game while primarily playing off the ball, providing spacing with his ability to stretch the floor.

He posted a respectable .355 3-point percentage but is a much better shooter than that number indicates. After an early-season slump, he converted 37.3 percent of his 3-point attempts in SEC play and led the NCAA in free throw percentage at .935.

Herro shot well in shooting drills in front of the Pacers' coaching staff and executives at the end of Friday's workout, displaying a quick release and smooth stroke.

Herro shoots at Friday's pre-draft workout at St. Vincent Center. (Photo Credit: @Pacers)

While some prospects want to be drafted as high as possible and others want to go to the organization they think is the best "fit" for their skillset, Herro isn't that picky. He said he has tried to "meet with every team possible" during the pre-draft process and isn't too picky about where he ends up. He is seemingly a lock to go in the first round, with a range from the late lottery to the early 20s.

"I watch a lot of NBA basketball," Herro said. "Everybody's really going in the same direction, spacing the floor, shooting threes, and playing defense. So I'm coming in here open minded. I don't care what team I'm drafted to. Just happy to have an opportunity to play in the NBA and make a name for myself."

While Herro played primarily off the ball in college, he does possess the ability to handle the ball as well. He shot better off the dribble than off the catch in college and also displayed a nice array of finishing moves inside the 3-point arc.

While Herro raved about his time at Kentucky and the influence coach John Calipari had on his career, he also realizes that he wasn't able to display his full arsenal of abilities during his year in Lexington.

"At Kentucky, you've just got to make sacrifices for the team," Herro said. "There's usually 10 top-10 guys going there. Everyone brings something special and at Kentucky I brought my shooting.

"I can do more than just shoot. I can play with the ball in my hands (and) come off the pick-and-roll."

While Herro is a good athlete and has plenty of size at 6-6 to play either guard position in the NBA, his wingspan measured at just over 6-3 at the NBA Draft Combine. That lack of length and questionable lateral quickness mean that he could struggle defensively at the next level.

But when you're picking 18th in the draft, you won't find a player without some hole in his game. The gamble with Herro is that his offensive firepower outweighs any potential defensive shortcomings.

The NBA invited Herro to sit in the green room at the draft next week. He plans to be there and will undoubtedly be joined by Calipari, who is becoming a fixture at the draft as Kentucky has had at least two players selected in the first round in each of the past nine seasons.

"He helped me in so many ways," Herro said of Calipari's influence. "He pretty much changed my whole game as far as just being a pro and looking at things as a professional. The first day I stepped on campus, he treated me like a pro.

"It was a good experience to go there and I was happy I made that decision."

Guards Devin Cannady (left), Christian James (center), and Lamar Peters (right) all worked out for the Pacers on Friday. (Photo Credit: @Pacers)

Trio of Guards Hoping to Earn Scouts' Attention

Herro was joined at Friday's workout by three other guards, Princeton's Devin Cannady, Oklahoma's Christian James, and Mississippi State's Lamar Peters. All three are candidates for the second round of the draft and are looking to impress a team enough to at least earn a Summer League invitation if they go undrafted.

For Cannady, Friday's workout was a homecoming of sorts. Cannady grew up in Mishawaka, where he attended Marian High School. In 2015, Cannady had a team-high 17 points leading his home state to victory in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

"It's nice having the Pacers bring me in, being home," Cannady said Friday. "I saw my family yesterday. I appreciate them bringing me in. It was a great workout."

Cannady was a prolific scorer in the Ivy League, averaging 11.6 points per game as a freshman and increasing his scoring average every season, up to 18.2 as a senior. Cannady relied heavily on his jump shot, shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range and 89.6 percent from the free throw line over his college career.

While he played primarily off the ball in college, the 6-1 Cannady will likely need to slide over to point guard at the next level.

"I'm competitive, I love the game," Cannady said. "I can shoot with the best of them, so if teams need shooting, need guys who are tough and smart, I can bring that."

James is a 6-4 shooting guard who averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds as a senior at Oklahoma. Since he finished his college career, James has actually been training a couple hours up I-69 in Fort Wayne with his agency, Potter Sports Group, founded by Mad Ants founder Jeff Potter.

James credited a lot of his development over his four years with the Sooners to legendary coach Lon Kruger. Kruger has compiled over 600 wins at the collegiate level, including a pair of Final Four appearances, and also has experience coaching in the NBA from 2003-04.

"Coach Kruger has really helped me with my game, just learning the game of basketball," James said. "He's really helped me with my IQ, making plays for (teammates), and being a team leader."

Peters burst onto the scene in his first year at Mississippi State in 2016-17, when he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 10.7 points per game and shooting 36.6 percent from 3-point range.

Those numbers dipped his sophomore season, but he bounced back his junior year, setting career highs for points (11.9 per game), assists (5.2), steals (1.7), and 3-point percentage (.386). Peters elected to forgo his senior season and enter the draft.

Being a smaller guard at just 6 feet tall hurts Peters' draft stock, but he does have experience running the point in college under coach Ben Howland.

"My coaches put in my head that I've got to be a point guard first and make plays for others," Peters said. "Coming out of high school, I was more of a scorer. But coaches instilled in me (that) you've got to get other guys involved."

Big men JaKeenan Gant (left) and Cameron Jackson (right) rounded out Friday's pre-draft workout. (Photo Credit: @Pacers)

Gant, Jackson Hope Effort and Energy Impress NBA Teams

The final two prospects at Friday's workout were a pair of power forwards: Louisiana-Lafayette's JaKeenan Gant and Wofford's Cameron Jackson.

Gant began his college career at Missouri but transferred to Louisiana-Lafayette after two years. He was extremely productive in his two seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns, including a monster senior year, when he averaged 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks while shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point range.

The 6-8 forward has some intriguing qualities between his athleticism and his ability to stretch the floor (he attempted 113 3-pointers his senior season).

"I bring a lot of energy," Gant said Friday. "I like dunking the ball, I can shoot. I do a little bit of everything."

Gant was an elite rim protector in college, swatting 156 shots over his two seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette and winning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors as both a junior and a senior. The question scouts will want answered in pre-draft workouts is how well that skillset carries over against higher-level competition.

Jackson is a 6-8, 258-pound forward who was a bruising presence on a Wofford team that earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in March. Jackson came up big in that victory over Seton Hall, tallying 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

On the season, the fifth-year senior (an injury forced him to redshirt his sophomore season) averaged 14.5 points on 57.3 percent shooting, 7.6 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals.

Like James, Jackson has also been training for the draft in Fort Wayne. He hopes his all-out effort in pre-draft workouts turns some heads.

"I see myself being a junkyard dog, just going in, getting after loose balls, playing defense, getting rebounds, finishing putbacks...just doing the dirty work," Jackson said.

He certainly embodied that mentality on Friday, when he sustained a cut on his left eye during the workout. Jackson received stitches and returned to finish the workout.

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Herro's Shooting Could be Welcome in Indiana

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2019 Draft Workouts: JaKeenan Gant

Height: 6-8
Weight: 215
Position: PF
College: Louisiana-Lafayette
Age: 23

2018-2019 Season Stats
PPG: 20.5
RPG: 8.6
APG: 1.3
BLK: 2.6
STL: 0.8

Player BioCourtesy of Louisiana-Lafayette Athletics

Career Honors: 2019 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament participant...2019 First-Team All-Louisiana...2019 Lou Henson Watch List...2019 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team...2019 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year...2019 First Team All-Sun Belt Conference...2019 USBWA All-District VII Team...2019 First Team NABC All-District...2x Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week...LSWA Player of the Week (Jan. 14, 2019)...LSWA Player of the Month (November 2018)...2018 Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament Team...2018 Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year...2018 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year...2018 Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference...2018 Second-Team NABC All-District...2018 Third-Team All-Louisiana...2018 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team...2018 Riley Wallace All-America Team

2018-19 (Senior): Finished as one of the most electrifying players in the nation, earning first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors, named the league's Defensive Player for the second straight year and claiming Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America honors for the second consecutive year ... one of three captains on the team, along with seniors Malik Marquetti and Marcus Stroman ... led Louisiana, and finished third in the Sun Belt Conference, in scoring (20.5) ... led the league in rebounds (8.7), blocked shots (2.6) and double-doubles (13) while finishing second in the SBC in field goal percentage (.543) and offensive rebounds per game (3.2) ... was seventh overall in the league in free throw percentage converting on 103 of 131 attempts (.786), including a string of 22 consecutive makes ... finished as the lone Division I player to average 20 points, eight rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game ... finished the season ranked in the top 50 among Division I players in six categories ... ranked eighth in the nation in blocked shots per game, 12th in total blocks (82), 24th in field goals made (246), 30th in offensive rebounds per game (3.16), 32nd in double-doubles (13) and 48th in field goal percentage ... in Sun Belt Conference games, finished third in the league in scoring (23.1), was second in field goal percentage (.562) and ninth in free throw percentage (.802) ... led the league in SBC-onlly games in rebounds (9.2), blocked shots (2.2) and was tied for the league lead in offensive rebounds per game (3.6) ... his 81 blocked shots and 2.6 blocks per game average were the fourth-best, single-season marks in school history ... scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games played, including 16 contests with 20 or more points ... had three games with 30+ points, paced by a career-high 45-point effort against Little Rock (1/5) ... finished 15-for-21 from the floor against the Trojans, was 4-for-5 from behind the 3-point line and a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line ... the 45-point performance set a Cajundome record, tied legendary scorer Dwight "Bo" Lamar for the 11th-highest single-game scoring total in school history and was the first 40-point game by a Ragin' Cajun since a 41-point effort by Sydney Grider at Ole Miss on Nov. 24, 1989 ... came back in his following game at Georgia State (1/10) to score 36 points on 14 of 21 shooting ... playing a half-hour from his hometown of Springfield, Ga., scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out a career-best five assists and blocked five shots – including a key rejection in the final seconds – to help Louisiana claim an 87-85 victory over Georgia Southern at Hanner Fieldhouse ... made 9 of 17 shots from the floor against the Eagles, was 2-for-4 from behind the 3-point line and broke an 80-all tie with a pair of free throws with 1:16 left ... named the Sun Belt and LSWA Player of the Week after averaging 29.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in the two-game Georgia swing ... went 10-for-19 from the floor, 3-for-6 from behind the 3-point line and 8-for-9 from the charity stripe in a 31-point effort at ULM (1/19) ... opened the season scoring in double figures in his first 10 games, capped by a 21-point performance against Loyola of New Orleans (12/5) and a 27-point effort against Prairie View (12/11) ... opened the season scoring 19 points on 8 of 9 shooting, with three blocked shots against the University of the Virgin Islands (11/6) ... scored 18 points with six rebounds, three steals and a block at nationally-ranked Tennessee (11/9) ... added 18 points with six boards at No. 2 Kansas (11/16) ... averaged 17.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in being named all-tournament at the Gulf Coast Showcase ... opened the three-day event with 19 points and seven rebounds in a win over Colorado State (11/19) ... added 16 points and nine boards the following day against Toledo (11/20) before capping off the eight-team tournament with his first double-double of the season - a 17-point, 11-rebound effort in a 68-61 victory over Tulane and giving the Cajuns their first win over the Green Wave since since a 41-28 victory on Dec. 17, 1935 ... flirted with a triple-double against Southern (12/1), scoring 19 points, blocking 10 shots and grabbing eight rebounds ... the 10 blocks against the Jaguars were tied for the most in a single-game by a Division I athlete ... injured early in the first half against Louisiana Tech (12/15) and was scoreless in 14 minutes of play ... missed the Ragin' Cajuns following game at McNeese State (12/18) before returning to the lineup at Southeastern Louisiana (12/30) ... scored nine points - all in the second half - while grabbing 11 of 12 rebounds and blocking six shots after halftime ... was 4-for-10 from the floor, including the eventual game-winning dunk with 3.0 seconds remaining, in a 73-72 victory and capping Louisiana's first trip to Hammond since 1971 ... earned SBC Player of the Week honors after helping Louisiana to wins over South Alabama (1/24) and Troy (1/21) ... scored 28 points on 10-for-19 shooting with eight rebounds and three blocks in an 88-84 win ... posted a double-double against Troy, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in an 86-81 victory ... finished 8-for-14 from the floor, 4-for-4 from behind the 3-point line with three assists, three blocks and two steals against the Trojans ... added double-doubles in road games at Appalachian State (1/31), scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, before scoring 27 points with 12 boards at Coastal Carolina (2/2) ... scored 23 points in back-to-back games against Georgia Southern (2/6) and Georgia State (2/8) ... grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots against Georgia Southern before going 8-for-11 from the floor, 3-for-3 from long distance and blocking three shots in a 76-72 victory over GSU in a nationally-televised contest ... scored 13 points with a career-high 17 rebounds at Texas State (2/23) ... scored a game-high 29 points on 11 of 18 shooting in a win over Coastal Carolina (2/28) ... scored 23 points against Appalachian State (3/3) on 8-for-15 aim from the floor and became the 48th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point career scoring mark ... became the first Cajun since Bryant Mbamalu in 2014 to reach the 1,000-point mark on Senior Day and the 10th player in school history to achieve the feat in two years ... joined a list that included Lamar, Andrew Toney, Shawn Long, Kevin Brooks and Frank Bartley ... scored 25 points with nine rebounds in a 90-87 overtime win at Arkansas State (3/9) helping Louisiana clinch the No. 5 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Championships ... finished 11-for-19 from the floor and 3-for-3 from long distance to finish with 26 points and 12 rebounds against South Alabama (3/14) in the SBC Championships.

2017-18 (Redshirt junior): Enjoyed a breakout season for Louisiana in his inaugural campaign, averaging 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game ... led the Sun Belt Conference in both field goal percentage (.553) and blocked shots ... his 74 blocks on the season were the fourth-most in a single-season in school history ... ranked 21st nationally in blocked shots per game and 24th in total blocks ... played in 32 games during the season while making 31 starts ... had six 20-point games on the season with three double-doubles ... scored 20 points in four straight games beginning with 20 points at Nicholls (12/1) ... scored 23 points against Loyola of New Orleans (12/6), 22 at Louisiana Tech (12/12) and 21 against New Orleans (12/16) ... scored career-high 24 points against Troy (1/27) going 9-for-14 from the floor and 4-for-7 from behind the 3-point line ... recorded first career double-double against New Orleans with 21 points and 11 rebounds ... added 14 points and a career-high 12 boards in a win over Southeastern Louisiana (12/19) ... opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 20-point, 10-rebound performance at Little Rock (12/29) ... missed games against Appalachian State (1/4) and Coastal Carolina (1/6) due to a thumb injury ... scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in win at Troy (2/25), helping the Ragin' Cajuns clinch a share of the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title ... came off the bench to score 17 points, grab five rebounds and block a career-high seven shots against Little Rock (3/3) ... added six blocks in a road win at ULM (2/3) and five at Nicholls (12/1).

2016-17 (Junior): Sat out the 2016-17 season to observe the NCAA Transfer Rule.

2015-16 (Sophomore - at Missouri): Averaged 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30 games for Mizzou, earning starts in the first four games of the season ... went 60-for-133 (.451) from the field, and was 26-for-36 (.722) from the free throw line ... led Tigers with 29 blocked shots ... scored in double figures four times during the season, including career-best 16 points at Vanderbilt (Feb. 10) ... scored 11 points in back-to-back games against Northern Illinois (Dec. 4) and Omaha (Dec. 9) ... scored 11 points in home game against Mississippi State (Jan. 30) ... led team in rebounds in games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 29), Georgia (Jan. 6) and Ole Miss (Feb. 23) ... scored seven points and pulled down career-best 11 boards in win over UAPB.

2014-15 (Freshman - at Missouri): Bouncy athlete with developing outside shooting range who averaged 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a freshman ... shot an efficient 51.2-percent from the field in his initial season for the Tigers ... finished the season with 14 blocks in 23 games played for a team-best average of 0.61 blocks per game ... made one of the plays of the season vs. Florida (Feb. 24) with a block of a Gator shot attempt to set-up a fastbreak alley-oop, which he finished off with an emphatic dunk to put Mizzou up 48-45 with 6:45 left in the game ... three blocks to match his career-high in the win vs. Florida (Feb. 24), totaling four points and six rebounds ... scored 11 points (5-of-7 FG, 1-of-1 FT) and seven rebounds at No. 18 Arkansas, also twice landing high-flying dunks ... scored 10 points (4-of-5 FG, 2-of-2 FT) vs. Texas A&M (Feb. 7) ... 13 points (4-of-8 FG, 1-of-4 3PT, 4-of-4 FT) in 15 minutes off the bench vs. Xavier (Dec. 13), the first action of his collegiate career ... did not appear in the first nine games of 2014-15 during a review of his eligibility by the University of Missouri.

High School: One of the premier players in the class of 2014 and was selected to participate in USA Basketball’s U18 National Team training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the completion of his senior season ... one of just 21 players invited to the camp, which ran from June 10-19, 2014 ... was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Georgia as a senior in 2014 ... averaged 21.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 2.8 assists for the Effingham County Rebels as a senior, helping his club to a 20-10 overall record and an appearance in the Georgia Class 5A state playoffs ... was named the Georgia Class 5A Player of the Year as a junior in 2013 ... averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and nearly four blocked shots per game that year ... led Effingham County to a 27-5 overall record as a junior and a berth into the state semifinals ... scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the state semifinal contest ... was a consensus four-star prospect nationally and ranked among the Top 60 players overall in the class of 2014.

Personal: The son of La’Kenia Gant and James McDonald ... born May 6, 1996, in Savannah, Ga. ... hobbies include playing video games and hanging out with friends, but spends most of his “downtime” resting before and after practice ... a general studies major.

JaKeenan Gant

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