Trey Lyles

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It sounds like fun, being a professional athlete in your hometown. Your family and friends can see you play, you never get lost and you're more likely to get endorsement opportunities.

Then again, nothing comes without a price.

Trey Lyles hopes he gets to find out. The 6-10 forward from Kentucky, barely more than a year removed from leading Tech High School to a state championship, was one of six players working out for the Pacers on Thursday, and could be available to them with the 11th pick in the first round.

Just two of Thursday's draft hopefuls are projected in the first round, Lyles and Arkansas forward Bobby Portis. They were matched up in head-to-head competition in three-on-three scrimmages, but media members are not permitted to see enough of the sessions to draw a valid conclusion.

RELATED: SEC Big Men Headline Thursday's Workout »

Lyles, who also has worked out in Phoenix and Miami, is a bit of a wild card. He'll go in the first round, certainly, but some projections have him going before the Pacers pick and some after. Some have him going to the Pacers, too, a natural bit of guesswork since he grew up in Indianapolis.

Nobody seems quite sure what to make of his potential, though. He was thrown into a mix of exceptional talent in his only college season at Kentucky, which muted his contributions. (He averaged just 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds). Two of his teammates, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein are expected to go ahead of him, and another, Devin Booker also will go in the first round.

PHOTO GALLERY: Thursday's Pre-Draft Workout »

Lyles is regarded as a mature, skilled player who can score inside and out. He has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and plays an intelligent game – "an old man's game," some say. But, he's not an explosive athlete, and doesn't have that one exceptional skill that makes him stand out. He is best-suited to play small forward offensively, but hit just 14 percent of his college 3-pointers. He is best-suited to play power forward defensively, but lacks the strength to guard the David Wests of the NBA. Then again, what 19-year-old doesn't?

That's the thing, Lyles is 19 and far from a finished work. It's impossible to know what he'll become. But whatever he becomes, he wouldn't mind it happening in Indianapolis.

"Being somewhere where you watched a lot of games when you were a kid and actually being able to go out there and work out for the team, it's a special situation for myself," he said Thursday.

"My family likes the Pacers, I watched them growing up, so it would be a cool situation. I'm a team-first guy and this is a team-first organization."

Lyles has attended several Pacers games over the years. Once, he was given an opportunity to meet Shaquille O'Neal, when O'Neal played for Miami, but was "too scared." Playing home games in the same Fieldhouse where he led Tech to its state championship to seasons ago, and for that matter the same city where Kentucky played its Final Four game a few months ago, sounds like a dream.

It probably would be, but not without its nightmarish elements. The Pacers' all-time roster includes seven men who played high school basketball in Marion County: Bobby Jo Edmonds (Attucks High School), Billy Keller (Washington), George McGinnis (Washington), Charles Jordan (Shortridge), Wayne Radford (Arlington), Randy Wittman (Ben Davis) and George Hill (Broad Ripple).

Two others, Jerry Sichting (Martinsville) and Josh McRoberts (Carmel) grew up in neighboring counties.

Keller and McGinnis got to see the best and worst of the experience while playing on championship teams in the ABA hey-day. They highly recommend it, but attach a warning label.

"I loved it," said Keller, who played seven seasons for the Pacers and is one of four to have played on all three championship teams. "My folks were able to see me play, and I could leave tickets for friends. I didn't feel any pressure. It was like playing in high school."

"It was wonderful," McGinnis said. "You were comfortable. You grew up here and had a lot of friends.

"But it could be a blessing and a curse," he quickly added.  "You have to make sure you keep it in perspective."

And there's the catch. There's a downside to being in such familiar surroundings. People are going to want favors, whether it's tickets to a game, a loan or an outright gift. Those issues are only amplified today, with salaries that have skyrocketed and are well-publicized.

"Making a lot of money is a game-changer," Keller said. "There's too many opportunities for people to get a piece of you and distract you. You start lending people money, and they don't pay you back."

McGinnis, the co-Most Valuable Player of the ABA in the 1974-75 season, probably was the highest-paid Pacers player before they joined the NBA, and at his peak the most popular. He had to learn to tell people no, something Hill no doubt has had to do.

Some people came to McGinnis for money. More often they wanted tickets, and/or a reserved parking place. He had to learn to defend, to put up an occasional stiff-arm. He received four comps for each home game at the Coliseum, but that wasn't nearly enough to cover his family members and closest friends, not to mention the mere acquaintances.

"It was always something," he said. "You had to separate yourself from some people. You were a bad guy as far as they were concerned, but you had to do it to keep your sanity.

"You end up spending more time working on those type of things than thinking about the game you had to play. I'd say, 'If I can't get you a ticket, I'll buy you a ticket. I don't want to make five or six calls to the Pacers office to get a ticket and a parking spot for you.'"

Years later, those memories tend to fade. Keller and McGinnis still live in Indianapolis, and built post-playing careers here. Keller coached at Brebeuf High School and Indiana Central, and ran a shooting camp for 37 years. McGinnis owns GM Supply Co. on the city's east side.

That's another advantage to playing in your home city. You have a wide network to begin with, and it's easier to expand it. That brings more business opportunities, and makes initiating them easier.

Keller and McGinnis led the Pacers in endorsements during their playing careers. Keller was a spokesman for the American Dairy Association for three years (they even wrote a song for him, "The Ballad of Billy Keller"), Jerry Alderman Ford, B&B Trailer Sales and Raccoon Lake. McGinnis had arrangements with a car dealer and Marathon Oil, among others. He and Keller shared endorsements with Tom Raper RV and Gatorade.

It's hardly automatic, though. Keller and McGinnis were standout players on teams that won championships. But the opportunities are there, amplified, for the hometown players. Or, as Hill is called, the "Hometown Hero."

It's far too early to make that sort of prediction for Lyles. But the possibility is there, and he doesn't shy away from it, as if Shaq were lurking around the corner.

"I don't think it would matter to me," he said. "I've played in a lot of different places before, and being able to play at home would be good for my family. It doesn't matter to me where I play at."

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Playing in Indy Doesn't Frighten Lyles

Wheat Hotchkiss

The Pacers brought in a bevy of talented post players for their fifth pre-draft workout on Thursday morning at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Most draft workouts feature just two big men (or in some cases, none), but Thursday's session featured four players who likely project to play the power forward position in the pros: Kentucky's Trey Lyles, LSU's Jordan Mickey, Wyoming's Larry Nance, Jr., and Arkansas' Bobby Portis.

The presence of those four players created a competitive dynamic for Thursday's workout, which also featured Ohio State point guard Shannon Scott and D-League guard Jarvis Threatt. Once again, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel and his coaching staff led the proceedings, which concluded with three-on-three work.

The SEC isn't known as a traditional power in basketball, but each of the three biggest names in town on Thursday (Lyles, Mickey, and Portis) hail from that conference. Draft experts list Lyles and Portis as consensus first-round picks with a good chance of going in the lottery, while Mickey is seen as a late first or early second-rounder.

Each of the three players embraced the opportunity to battle against their conference rivals. Portis and Lyles were matched up on each other during the portion of three-on-three work open to the media, and each player drilled a contested jumper over his opponent. Mickey got in on the action, too, rotating over from Nance to block Portis at the rim on one occasion.

"It's always a joy," Mickey said about being reunited with Lyles and Portis. "Those are very competitive guys. They hate to lose, so it was fun going against them."

Added Lyles: "It pushes me to go out there and compete and try to get the better of my opponent. (Portis) is a good competitor and we went out there and worked hard today."

It's easy to forget given how Lyles' Kentucky squad dominated league play, but Bobby Portis was actually the SEC Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season, when he averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Razorbacks as a sophomore.

Measuring out at 6-11 with a 7-2 wingspan, Portis is a plus-level athlete with a versatile offensive game. Due to Arkansas' system, he didn't post up a ton in college, but is confident that he has a good enough post game to score at the next level.

"We played a five-out pass-and-cut kind of offense, so that's the kind of knock on me right now," Portis said. "But I'm trying to show people that I can post up."

Portis is also an above-average shooter for a big man, despite an unorthodox high release. He hit on a high percentage of his shots from the mid-range and even knocked down 46.7 percent of his shots from beyond the 3-point arc, albeit on just 30 attempts. He said after Thursday's workout that he feels pretty comfortable with the corner 3-point shot, but is still adjusting to the longer arc in the NBA.

Portis' best attribute, however, is his high motor. The Little Rock native played with exceptional energy in college and dominated the offensive glass. If he can bring that same intensity at the next level, Portis could be an immediate asset off the bench for the team that drafts him.

He is also an entertaining interview. When I asked him whether it was fair to say he "played angry" in college, Portis' response was incredible.

"I try to get mad before every game," Portis said. "I try to envision someone hitting my mom. That's what makes me mad. Even before practice, I try to do that so I can go out and be aggressive."

While Portis took home conference Player of the Year honors, Jordan Mickey got plenty of accolades himself, being named to the First Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team. As a sophomore at LSU, Mickey averaged 15.4 points per game, led the conference in rebounding (9.9 per contest), and led the nation in blocked shots (3.6 per game).

Mickey's defensive expertise figures to be the thing most likely to translate to the next level. Though he only measured out at a little over 6-8 at the NBA Draft Combine, Mickey has a 7-3 wingspan that allowed him to swat 219 shots in just two years in college.

"(It's) just a lot to do with timing and not fouling," Mickey said of his shot-blocking prowess. "You've got to learn where to put your hands at, and try not to give the refs an out."

Offensively, Mickey's game is still a little raw. Though he maintained on Thursday that he's a capable jump shooter, Mickey didn't take a ton of jumpers at LSU. His smaller frame also figures to hurt his ability to score in the post in the pros.

He didn't do much offensively in the latter portions of Thursday's workout, but Mickey's block on Portis drew audible gasps from some of the media in attendance. That's a skill set that should definitely translate to the NBA. Mickey's elite defensive skills and athleticism could be enough for a team to take a chance on him in the late first round.

"I'm getting real excited and antsy," Mickey said about Draft Night, which is two weeks away. "I can't wait for the day."

Trey Lyles is also already starting to anticipate hearing his name called.

"I'm going to be all over the place," Lyles said. "Being a kid that's wanted to play in the NBA my whole life, to be drafted and being a kid that watched the draft at home, and to actually do (hear my name called) is going to be crazy for me."

Pacers.com's Mark Montieth focused on what it was like for the 2014 Indiana Mr. Basketball to workout for his hometown team, but the most interesting part of Lyles' development as a prospect is the role he played for a loaded Kentucky team.

Though he's a natural power forward, Lyles was asked to play primarily at the small forward position for the Wildcats, allowing likely lottery picks Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns to man the post. In many ways, that might have been a huge blessing for Lyles, allowing him to hone his skills on the perimeter and guard smaller players.

Still, playing for such a stacked roster also forced Lyles to make some individual sacrifices. His stat line (8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game) isn't eye-popping, but Lyles is confident that he can bring a lot to an NBA team from day one.

"Being able to make plays for myself and my teammates, post-up game stuff like that, just different things that the team didn't need from me because we had it all in areas that we needed, now being on another level I'll be able to showcase that stuff," Lyles said.

Despite NBA Pedigree, Nance, Jr. Has Something to Prove

Larry Nance, Jr. comes from basketball royalty. His father was a three-time All-Star who spent 13 years with the Suns and Cavaliers and defeated Dr. J in the 1984 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Larry, Jr. possesses similar athleticism to his father, but he wasn't a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school. According to Rivals.com, Nance had seven scholarship offers, but they were from four MAC schools, Milwaukee, Western Carolina, and Wyoming, where he eventually committed.

Nance enjoyed a stellar four-year career in Laramie, where he had a double-digit scoring average in each of his final three years on campus. He averaged 16.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game as a senior, a stat line good enough to earn a selection to the First Team All-Mountain West and conference co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. More importantly, Nance helped the Cowboys advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000-01.

Despite his accomplishments, Nance, Jr. still feels like he's got a lot to prove in these workouts. Being from a mid-major college, he plays with an extra chip on his shoulder, eager to show that his athleticism translates even against the best of the best.

And his dad is in his corner every step of the way.

"He actually came up to Indy last night and hung out with me a little bit," Nance, Jr. said. "(He) just kind of said, 'Be yourself...you're all energy, great athlete, teams love to see that.' So as long as I can show that, he's happy."

High-Flying Threatt Used to Professional Game

Jarvis Threatt is trying to follow a path that's becoming more and more common to the NBA. Threatt spent the last season in the NBA Development League after getting dismissed from the University of Delaware. In recent years, players like Glen Rice, Jr. and P.J. Hairston have spent a season in the D-League before entering the NBA Draft.

Threatt, a 6-2 guard, believes that his experience in the D-League better prepared him for the next level.

"After playing in the D-League this year, I've gained so much respect for it," Threatt said. "Playing against pros, the talent level... it's completely different from college, as far as the system and the gameplay. So I definitely feel like I have a leg up."

Playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Threatt averaged 12.9 points and 5.5 assists per game this past season. The Vipers, affiliates of the Houston Rockets, play at a blistering pace, averaging 123.3 points per game last season.

An explosive athlete with a 43-inch vertical, Threatt won the D-League Slam Dunk Contest last season. Playing at a faster pace (a style the Pacers brass has said they hope to adopt next season) seems to suit him very well.

"I'm an up-tempo guy," Threatt said. "Even in college we played up and down the floor, just having this year at Rio Grande we really pushed the tempo as far as being in shape and being in condition. That's what I love to do, get up and down the court."

Scott Hoping to Follow Matta's Pipeline to the Pros

Ohio State head coach Thad Matta has coached a slew of future NBA players. David West starred for Matta at Xavier, and since Matta has moved to Columbus, he's pumped out several lottery picks, from Greg Oden and Mike Conley to Evan Turner to Jared Sullinger.

Shannon Scott isn't projected to be a lottery pick. There's a good chance he doesn't hear his name called at all on draft night. But as a four-year player under Matta, Scott earned his coach's respect and improved each and every season.

"Give it your all and find a way to get on the court and stick with it, really," Scott said when asked the biggest lesson he learned in college. "Coaches want to see that. If you do that for them, they'll take care of you."

As a senior, Scott averaged 8.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. A pesky defender, Scott amassed 211 steals in his career, the second-highest total in school history.

Scott has the skill set to be a solid distributor and defender as a professional. The biggest question mark regarding his game is his outside shooting. Scott was never a great shooter in college, converting just 27.9 percent of his attempts from 3-point range.

He said on Thursday that improving his shot has been his biggest focus over the past few months. Sure enough, he knocked down a couple jumpers in the short 3-on-3 session open to the media.

The Pacers own the 11th and 43rd overall selections in the 2015 NBA Draft, which will take place on June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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SEC Big Men Headline Thursday's Workout

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Pre-Draft Workouts: June 11, 2015

inddmassa

Height: 6-10
Weight: 241
Position: PF
College: Kentucky
Age: 19

PPG: 8.7
RPG: 5.2
APG: 1.1
BLK: 0.5
STL: 0.5

2014-15 (FRESHMAN): Made the All-SEC Freshman Team, as chosen by the league’s coaches ... Two-time winner of the SEC Freshman of the Week award ... Appeared in 36 games with 21 starts ... Started 14 of the final 15 games of the season ... Averaged 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in his freshman season ... Scored in double figures in 13 of 36 games, including eight of the season’s final 14 games ... Recorded two double-doubles on the year ... Averaged 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds over the last 14 games of the season ... Scored nine or more points in the season’s final seven games ... Notched nine points in the Final Four game vs. Wisconsin ... Recorded nine points and five boards to lead UK to a Midwest Regional championship game victory over No. 8 Notre Dame ... Tallied 14 points and seven rebounds in the rout of No. 20 West Virginia ... Notched his second career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament game vs. Cincinnati ... Opened his NCAA Tournament career with 10 points and six rebounds vs. Hampton ... Posted a balanced nine points and seven rebounds in the SEC Tournament championship game vs. No. 21 Arkansas ... Made 4 of 7 shots and 4 of 4 at the free-throw line en route to 12 points against Auburn in the SEC Tournament ... Poured in 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the season’s home finale vs. Florida ... Posted back-to-back career-high scoring games of 18 points at Mississippi State and at home vs. No. 18 Arkansas ... Recorded 10 points and five rebounds in just 18 minutes at Tennessee ... Missed three straight games from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7 with an illness ... Blocked a career-high three shots to go along with seven points and six rebounds in the road victory at Texas A&M ... Opened his SEC career with 10 points against Ole Miss ... Grabbed nine boards and dished out a career-high-tying four assists in the victory at No. 4 Louisville ... Just missed out on a double-double with seven points and 10 rebounds at home vs. Columbia ... Recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a dominating victory at home against Eastern Kentucky ... One board shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds vs. UT Arlington ... Notched 12 points, rebounds and three assists in a home win over Buffalo ... Opened his career with 14 points and four rebounds vs. Grand Canyon.

HIGH SCHOOL: Named Indiana Mr. Basketball and the state's Gatorade High School Player of the Year after leading Tech to the state title his senior season ... A three-time All-State performer... Averaged 23.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists while leading Tech to a 27-2 overall record ... Lyles clinched the state title with a game-winning free throw and a 16-point, 12-rebound, 3-block, 3-assist outing in his final high school contest ... Finished his career as Tech's all-time leading scorer and rebounder ... Earned McDonald's All-America honors and also appeared in the Jordan Brand Classic contest ... Lyles suited up for the West in the McDonald's game, scoring eight points and hauling in a team-high eight rebounds ... Poured in 17 points, while adding six boards and a pair of blocks in a win for the East in the Jordan Brand Classic game ... Is rated as the No. 6 overall player in the 2014 class by ESPN and second at his position ... Scout lists him as the No. 11 overall player, but the top player at his position, while Rivals rates him at No. 13 overall and seventh at the forward position.

PERSONAL: Son of Jessie and Thomas Lyles ... Born on Nov. 5, 1995 ... Chose Kentucky over Louisville and Butler.

Trey Lyles

Playing in Indy Doesn't Frighten Lyles

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Pre-Draft Workouts: June 11, 2015

Trey Lyles: 2015 Draft Prospect

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