Phil Booth

Wheat Hotchkiss

Just three days before the 2019 NBA Draft, the Pacers held their ninth and final pre-draft workout on Monday at the St. Vincent Center.

All told, 49 prospects visited Indiana over the last month, with 48 participating in workouts (LSU guard Tremont Waters interviewed with team executives but was unable to work out after spraining his right ankle at the NBA Draft Combine).

Just a handful of those prospects are likely to go in the first round of the draft, where the Pacers currently own the 18th overall selection. Two of those players worked out for the Blue & Gold on Monday: Virginia Tech guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who Mark Montieth profiled here, along with Alexander-Walker's college teammate Justin Robinson) and Stanford forward KZ Okpala.

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

Okpala looks the part of a first-round pick. He measured at 6-9 1/2 with a wingspan just under 7-2 and a 37-inch vertical leap at the Combine last month.

On the court, he demonstrated marked improvement in his sophomore season at Stanford.

Okpala was okay as a freshman, averaging 10 points and 3.7 rebounds per game but struggling with his shot, posting a paltry .226 3-point percentage.

But he improved across the board in his second year in Palo Alto, averaging 16.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last season for the Cardinal while knocking down 36.8 percent of his 3-point attempts, and was named to the All-Pac-12 first team.

The combination of Okpala's athleticism and his development, together with his age (he didn't turn 20 until the end of April), make him an intriguing prospect with a good chance of hearing his name called in the first round on Thursday night.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie has Okpala going 21st overall to Oklahoma City in his last mock draft, ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony has Okpala going 23rd to Utah in his latest mock, while NBADraft.net projects for him to end up in Golden State with the 28th overall selection.

Okpala prides himself on his versatility. He was a 5-10 guard entering high school before hitting his growth spurt and still has the ability to handle the ball and initiate offense.

"I can bring it up," Okpala said Monday. "I love getting rebounds and when I get the rebound, (I can) just push it up. I can play-make, I have a really good first step and can get in the middle and find guys."

With his size and length, Okpala can guard multiple positions, an enviable asset in the modern NBA where switching is becoming more and more commonplace. Offensively, he has the skill set to play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward and said on Monday that he believes he could even play point guard if needed.

With a number of players set to enter free agency — including shooting guard Wesley Matthews, small forward Bojan Bogdanovic, and power forward Thaddeus Young — Okpala could fill a number of potential voids on the Pacers' roster.

"Just the culture around here, everyone plays hard," Okpala said. "Victor Oladipo is a great guy, he plays really hard. I think I can fit here just because I'm gritty. I like to get dirty, defensively, offensively, whatever. Whatever coach needs me to do."

Okpala still has plenty of room for improvement, whether it's continuing to work on his jump shot or simply coming out of his shell (the 20-year-old is a definite introvert and quieter by nature). But teams can point to his improved 3-point percentage, the end product of summer spent revamping his shot to remove a hitch in his release, as evidence that he is willing to put in the work to get better at the next level.

Whether it's with the Pacers or elsewhere, Okpala will realize a lifelong dream on Thursday night.

"Just so excited," he said on Monday. "It's everything I've always wanted."

Villanova's Phil Booth (left), UNLV's Kris Clyburn (center), and Texas Tech's Matt Mooney (right) all brought years of experience to Monday's pre-draft workout. (Photo Credit: @Pacers)

Battle-Tested Guards Hope to Use Experience to Earn a Roster Spot

In addition to potential first-round picks Alexander-Walker and Okpala, Monday's workout also featured a number of veteran guards, including Robinson, Villanova's Phil Booth, Texas Tech's Matt Mooney, and UNLV's Kris Clyburn.

Booth ended his college career with quite the resume and two national championship rings.

He was the sixth man for the Wildcats as a sophomore and came up huge in the 2016 national title game against North Carolina, scoring a team-high (and season-high) 20 points off the bench. A knee issue three games into the next season forced Booth to redshirt, but he was back and in the starting backcourt for the Wildcats during their run to the 2018 national championship, averaging 10 points per game in a supporting role.

After Villanova lost four players to the draft last June, Booth transitioned into a different role as a redshirt senior, becoming his team's primary scorer and playmaker. He was excellent in that new role, averaging 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists and earning a number of individual accolades, including unanimous selection to All-Big East first team, Most Outstanding Player at the Big East Tournament, and Big 5 Player of the Year.

"It made me be a lot more of a decision maker," Booth said about his greater offensive role. "It made me learn how to control a team (and) run a team, know when to score and know when to pass."

At 6-3, Booth is a combo guard who can play on or off the ball. As a fifth-year senior, he is unlikely to hear his name early (if at all) on draft night, but his experience playing for Villanova coach Jay Wright — who has produced numerous NBA guards from Kyle Lowry to Josh Hart to Jalen Brunson — should be one thing that intrigues NBA scouts.

"Coach forces you to play both ends of the floor and be the best player you can be on both ends of the floor," Booth said. "He forces you to be a good defender, ball-handler, decision maker, rebounder, whatever it is on the court. He doesn't want you to have any weaknesses."

Mooney very nearly experienced the same thrill as Booth, helping lead Texas Tech on a magical run to the national championship game, where they fell in overtime to Virginia.

Mooney's college career was a unique journey that included stints at three different colleges. The Wauconda, Ill. native began his career at the Air Force Academy, but transferred after his freshman season to South Dakota. After sitting out a year, he had two highly productive seasons for the Coyotes, averaging 18.6 points per game as a sophomore and 18.7 as a junior. He then moved to Texas Tech last season as graduate transfer and thrived in his first year in power conference basketball.

In his lone season in Lubbock, Mooney averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals and shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range. He was named to the All-Big 12 second team and all-defensive team.

"I think playing at three different schools helped me adjust," Mooney said. "You go to play for a new team, you've got to adjust to that new style and new players. I played at the mid-major level at Air Force and South Dakota and then I played my last year at Texas Tech and I made a jump to a higher level and still was able to play well and adjust.

"I think that helped me now making my transition to the NBA, where I'm going to have to adjust to a faster paced game and some bigger guys. It helps me be ready for that moment."

Defense and shooting could be Mooney's ticket to the pros. The 6-3, 200-pound guard uses his stocky frame to get into players and thrived in Chris Beard's defensive-oriented system at Texas Tech.

Mooney had a number of strong performances during Texas Tech's tournament run. He tallied 17 points, five rebounds, and three steals in an Elite Eight win over Gonzaga, then scored 22 points and went 4-for-8 from 3-point range in a Final Four victory over Michigan State.

Mooney said Monday that experience can help him now as he auditions for the NBA.

"That tournament run we made, playing on that stage — probably the biggest stage in basketball other than maybe the Finals — playing in front of 70,000 is crazy, it's a great experience," he said.

"But then I come into workouts like this and I just remember I played on a big stage. It helps me stay calm and remember that I'm doing what I love and to play hard and give it everything and not really worry about who's watching."

Clyburn is a 6-6 guard who spent three seasons at UNLV after beginning his career in junior college. The Detroit-area native averaged 7.3 points per game in each of his first two seasons with the Runnin' Rebels before breaking through as a senior, when he averaged 14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

While his offensive output increased considerably, Clyburn was still best known for his defense while at UNLV, earning Mountain West All-Defensive team honors as a senior. That could be his best chance of earning an NBA roster spot.

"That's one of the major things in the league or anywhere," Clyburn said. "Playing defense, that keeps you on the floor."

Clyburn is hoping to show teams he can be more of a playmaker than he was able to show in college. While he has the size to play shooting guard, he also wants teams to see him handle the ball and make decisions in the pick-and-roll.

He has a mentor in older brother Will, who actually also worked out for the Pacers in 2013 after completing his college career at Iowa State.

The older Clyburn has not played in the NBA, but has carved out a great career overseas. He led Russian club CSKA Moscow to the EuroLeague championship in May, earning Final Four MVP honors.

"He's a big influence," Kris Clyburn said of his older brother. "We're six years apart, but we still get after it like we're the same age every time he comes home in the summer."

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Okpala Offers Intriguing Option with Versatility

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2019 Draft Workouts: Phil Booth

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Height: 6-3
Weight: 194
Position: PG
College: Villanova
Age: 23

2018-2019 Season Stats
PPG: 18.6
RPG: 3.9
APG: 3.8
BLK: 0.2
STL: 0.8

Player BioCourtesy of Villanova Athletics

VILLANOVA
A smooth and skilled point guard with a terrific feel for the game ... Adept at finding the open man or finding his own shot opportunities ... An accomplished on the ball defender.

2018-19 Overview
Led the Wildcats in scoring at 18.6 points per game and added 3.9 rebounds per game ... A unanimous first team All-BIG EAST choice ... Captured the Dave Gavitt Award as the Most Outstanding Player at the 2019 BIG EAST Tournament ... Became only the ninth player in program history to finish his career with 1,500 or more points and 300 or more assists.

2019 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Became one of only five players in NCAA history to be part of 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament victories when the 'Cats knocked off St. Mary's in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament ... Averaged 17.5 points and 4.0 assists in two NCAA Tournament outings.

2018-19 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS
BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player..Averaged 19.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and shot 41.9%

2018-19 BIG EAST HIGHLIGHTS:
Notched 28 points in his final home court appearance on March 2 vs. Butler ... Was a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line as part of a 17 point effort to help the Wildcats down Marquette 67-61 on Feb. 27 ... Led the Wildcats with 26 points in an 85-73 defeat at Georgetown on Feb. 20 ... Finished with 22 points and four assists in an 85-67 win over Providence on Feb. 13 ... Helped Villanova climb out of a 47-32 second half deficit at Maruette before falling ... Finished with 19 pointsin 37:25 ... Delivered 19 points, eight assists and zero turnSupplied six of his 14 points in overtime to help VU hold off Creighton 66-59 at the Finneran Pavilion on Feb. 6 .. Led the Wildcats past Seton Hall on Jan. 27, scoring 25 points to go with five rebounds and five assists ... Added 17 points, five assists and four rebounds to an 80-72 win at Butler on Jan. 22 ... Led the Wildcats in an 85-75 win over Xavier, scoring 22 points to go with five assists ... Named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the third straight week on Jan. 14 ... Tallied a new BIG EAST career high, scoring 28 points to help lead Villanova past Creighton 90-78 on Jan. 13 ... Lifted the Wildcats past St. John’s 76-71 by scoring 15 of his 23 points after halftime on Jan. 8 ... Also added seven rebounds and four assists ... Led the Wildcats with 23 points in a 65-59 win at Providence on Jan. 5 ... He scored the final five points of the game for VU, including a clutch 3-point play with 1:06 to play ... Scored 12 of his 15 points after halftime to help rally the Wildcats past DePaul 73-68.

2018-19 NON-CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS:
Converted all six of his field goal attempts on his way to 18 points and seven rebounds in an 81-58 victory over Connecticut on Dec. 22 ... Established a new career high with 29 points in a 74-71 loss to No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 15 in Lawrence ... Recorded the 1,000 th point of his college career on a 3-pointer early in the second half of a 78-75 loss at Penn on Dec. 11 ... Finished with 18 points, all scored in the second half ... Dropped in 12 points to go with six assists in a 70-58 win over Saint Joseph’s on Dec. 8 .... Provided 19 pivotal points to a 85-78 victory over La Salle on Dec. 1 ... Dropped in 20 points as Villanova rolled past Oklahoma State on Nov. 23 in the AdvoCare Invitational semifinal ... Scored 15 points to help lift VU past Canisius in the opening round of the AdvoCare Invitational on Thanksgiving Day ... Notched 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in a 76-68 loss to Furman on Nov. 17 ... Established a new career with 23 points to go with five assists and zero turnovers in an 86-53 win over Quinnipiac on Nov. 10 ... Notched 17 points in his fifth season opener as a Wildcat, a 100-77 victory over Morgan State.

2017-18 Overview
Played a pivotal role as a team tri-captain as the Wildcats earned their second NCAA national championship in three seasons ... Started 31 games, including all nine in the postseason ... Averaged 10.0 points and 27.4 minutes per outing ... Returned to the lineup on Feb. 21 vs. DePaul after missing seven games with a broken bone in this right (shooting) hand suffered in a Jan. 23 win over Providence ... The Wildcats won 12 of 13 after his return to the lineup, including 11 in a row to close the campaign ... Announced his intention to return to Villanova for his final season of eligibility in 2018-19 in April 2018.

2018 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Contributed 10 points, six rebounds and three assists to a 95-79 victory over Kansas on March 31 in the NCAA Final Four ... Added six points, six rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers to a 90-78 win over West Virginia on March 23 ... Supplied four points, five assists and six rebounds in an 81-58 second round win over Alabama ... Added 10 points and three assists in 25 minutes of an 87-61 win over Radford on March 15.

2018 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
His 14 points helped the `Cats down Butler 87-68 in a semifinal on March 9 ... Converted 6-of-10 field goal attempts to finish with 15 points in a 94-70 win over Marquette on Mar. 8 at Madison Square Garden.

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON
Returned to action after missing seven games with an injured right hand and scored 14 points in 16 minutes of a Feb. 21 win over DePaul ... Suffered a fractured bone in his right (shooting) hand during the waning minutes of an 89-69 victory over Providence on Jan. 23 ... His 12 points and six assists were part of a balanced attack that helped down Georgetown 88-56 on Jan. 17 in Washington, D.C. Registered a new career high with 21 points, on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, in an 89-65 win over No. 10 Xavier on Jan. 10 ... Connected on 6-of-9 field goal attempts to finish with 17 points in a 103-85 win at DePaul in the BIG EAST opener ... After being hampered by a stomach virus in a Dec. 13 win at Temple, bounced back with 17 points in 21 minutes of a 95-71 iwn over Hofstraon Dec. 22 ... Helped the Wildcats overcome La Salle on Dec. 10, scoring 18 points to go with five rebounds ... Matched a career high with 20 points in an 88-72 victory over Gonzaga on Dec. 5 at the Jimmy V Classic ... Collected a career high eight rebounds to go with 17 points and six assists in a 94-53 Big Five win over Saint Joseph's on Dec. 2 ... Connected on 5-of-9 field goal attempts for 14 points in a 90-62 win over Penn on Nov. 29 ... Added 12 points and two assists to a 64-54 win over UNI in the finals of the Battle 4 Atlantis ... Sank 8-of-10 free throws in an 85-76 win over Tennessee on Nov. 24 ... Added a season-high four steals to go with seven points in a 66-58 win over Western Kentucky on Nov. 22 ... Converted 4-of-5 field goals and finished with 11 points in a 104-57 win over Lafayette on Nov. 17 ... Contributed 12 points to a 113-77 win over Nicholls on Nov. 14.

2016-17 Overview
Started the Wildcats opening three games before being sidelined with left knee inflammation ... The injury forced him to the sidelines and he did not log another minute during the campaign.

2016-17 Non-Conference Highlight:
Contributed seven points in an 88-48 win over Lafayette on opening night and matched that total in a 79-76 win at Purdue on Nov. 14 ... Made his final appearance of the season against Western Michigan at the Gildan Charleston Classic on Nov. 17.

2015-16 Overview
Served as Villanova’s primary sixth man over the course of the campaign ... Earned three starting assignments while appearing in all 40 of the Wildcats' games ... Averaged 7.0 points and 2.2 assists per outing .... Underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on May 4, 2016.

2015-16 NCAA Tournament Highlights
Named to the All-Final Four team ... Tallied a season-high 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field to help propel VU past North Carolina 77-74 in the NCAA Final on April 4 at Houston's NRG Stadium ... Converted all six of his free throw attempts in the victory over the Tar Heels that gave VU its second NCAA national championship ... Tied a career high with five steals to go with 10 points and two rebounds in a 95-51 national semifinal victory over Oklahoma on April 2 ... Played a key role in Villanova’s 87-68 victory over Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Brooklyn's Barclays Center ... Sank two 3-pointers as part of a first half burst and finished with eight points and three assists in the win.

2015-16 BIG EAST Tournament Highlights
Was instrumental in a 81-67 win over Georgetown on March 10, adding seven points, three assists and strong defense .

2015-16 BIG EAST Regular Season Highlights:
Contributed nine points in 19 minutes of an 83-62 win over DePaul at the Pavilion on March 1 ... Dropped in six critical free throws in the final minutes to help VU?down Marquette 89-79 ... Finished with eight points and four assists in that one ... Added 11 points in a 90-83 loss to Xavier on Feb. 24 ... Gave the Cats an important lift on Feb. 17 at Temple, contributing 12 points and five rebounds in an 83-67 win ... Added 10 points and six assists to the cause in an 83-58 win over Creighton on Feb. 3 ... Provided 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field in an 83-68 victory over Marquette on Jan. 13 ... Connected on 4-of-5 field goals for 10 points in a BIG?EAST opening day win over Xavier on Dec. 31.

2015-16 Non-Conference Highlights
Set a new career high with seven rebounds in a 77-57 win over Penn on Dec. 28 ... Chipped in with nine points and a season high seven assists in a 78-48 victory over Delaware on Dec. 22 ... Scored 10 points to go with five assists in his first college start, a 76-47 win over La Salle on Dec. 13 ... Contributed 10 points and four rebounds in a 78-55 loss to No. 7 Oklahoma on Dec. 7 at Pearl Harbor ... His seven points in 28 minutes helped the Cats roll past Georgia Tech to earn the NIT?Season Tipoff title on Nov. 27 ... Notched a season-high 16 points to go with five rebounds in an 86-51 win over ETSU?on Nov. 20 ... His 11 points and four assists helped the Wildcats down Nebraska 87-63 on Nov. 17 in the Gavitt Tipoff Games ... Supplied seven points, four assists, and three rebounds in a 91-54 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 13.

2014-15 Overview:
Named Rookie of the Year by the Philadelphia Big Five ... Averaged 5.8 points and 14.5 minutes per game in his debut campaign as a Wildcat, appearing in all 36 games.

2015 NCAA Tournament Highlights
Supplied nine points with a rebound, steal and an assist in the 93-52 win over Lafayette in the second round in Pittsburgh ... Contributed nine points and two rebounds in a third round loss to North Carolina State.

2015 Big East Tournament Highlights
Added eight points in 16 minutes of the championship game victory over Xavier before fouling out ... Supplied six points in 18 minutes of an 84-49 victory over Marquette on Mar. 12 in BIG?EAST?Tournament quarterfinal.

2014-15 BIG EAST Regular Season Highlights
Averaged 5.8 ppg and 15.6 mpg in conference action ... Established a new career high with eight assists to go with seven points in a 105-68 win over St. John's on March 7 ... Poured in eight points in 19 minutes of action in a 76-72 win at Creighton on March 3 ... Logged 22 minutes and chipped in with eight points and three assists in a 78-66 triumph at Xavier on Feb. 28 ... Came off the bench to supply 10 points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds in an 89-61 victory over Providence at the Pavilion on Feb. 24 ... Delivered eight points, three assists and zero turnovers in an 80-54 victory over Seton Hall on Feb. 16 at the Pavilion ... Supplied 10 points in 16 minutes of a 70-52 win over Marquette on Feb. 4 ... Tied a season high with four rebounds to go with six points in a 68-55 win over DePaul on Jan. 31 ... Added eight points and two assists in 19 minutes of a 71-50 triumph over Creighton on Jan. 25 ... Contributed nine points and three rebounds to a 90-72 victory at St. John's on Jan. 6 at Madison Square Garden.

2014-15 Non-Conference Highlights
Recorded a season high with 14 points to go with four rebounds in a 92-67 win over NJIT ... Posted a season-high 11 points to go with two assists in a 74-46 win over Saint Joseph's ... Added eight points, four assists and four rebounds in a 78-47 victory over Delaware on Nov. 30 at the Wells Fargo Center ... Dropped in all four of his field goal attempts for a seaosn high nine points in a 77-53 win over VCU at Barclays Center on Nov. 24 ... Dropped in seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field in an 81-44 win over UMES on Nov. 17.

MOUNT ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL
Named the 2013-14 Baltimore Prep Player of the Year ... Averaged 19 points, six rebounds and three assists per game in helping the Gaels finish at 34-5 and claim the championships of the Baltimore Catholic League and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference ... Ranked No. 92 in ESPNU's list of Top 100 in the High School Class of 2014 ... Rose to prominence as a junior in 2012-13 while averaging 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds per contest ... Was a first team All-Catholic League selection.

PERSONAL
Parents are Phil Booth Sr. and Robin Booth ... Has two sisters, Jasmine (25)?and Jessica (13) ... Phil Booth Sr. is a Philadelphia native who starred at Northeast High School and Coppin State University.

Phil Booth

Okpala Offers Intriguing Option with Versatility

2019 Draft Workouts: Phil Booth

Phil Booth: 2019 Draft Prospect