The New York Knicks have apparently become the next hot stop on the NBA Pre-Draft workout tour.
Thursday the Knickerbockers worked out such luminaries as Cornell's Jeff Foote, Tennessee's J.P. Prince and even Western Kentucky's do-it-aller A.J. Slaughter..
Today, according to a Knicks' press release via Tommy Dee via Posting and Toasting, they'll continue the six player workout. These players are a little more likely to warrant second round selection, however, if not even a bit earlier than the Knicks back-to-back second round picks (38th and 39th overall).
So just who is on the docket today?
Continue on, continue-onners. If you dare, that is.
Craig Brackins- 6'10'' Power Forward, Iowa State
Stephen Dennis- 6'6" Guard, Kutztown
Jarvis Varnado- 6'9'' Power Forward, Mississippi State
Greivis Vasquez- 6'5'' Guard, Maryland
Willie Warren- 6'4'' Guard, Oklahoma
Dominique Jones- 6'4'' Guard, South Florida
All of those names should be quite familiar to NBA Draftniks because, well, they've all been projected to go in the first round at some point in their illustrious basketball careers.
All except for Stephen Dennis, that is.
Dennis, a 6-foot-6 point guard, dropped a career-high 42 points against East Stroudsberg on January 13th, 2010. If that doesn't impress you, he also holds the single-season school records for points scored and free-throws made.
If you still need more to impress you about Mrs. Stephen Rudy Stephen Dennis, Draft Express came away interested after watching him at the senior's only Portsmouth Invitational:
-Kutztown's Stephen Dennis wasn't the most productive player in day two, coming up with 10 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, but he definitely did enough to pique our interest with his physical tools and potential. Dennis is a 6-6 point guard who is rail thin, but is extremely fluid and agile. He looked like a capable passer and scorer who can get to the rim but struggles to finish at the moment, and seems to have a nice shooting stroke that is currently a bit on the streaky side. Dennis seems to be one of those late bloomers that is worth keeping tabs on. He reminded us a bit of Dontell Jefferson on first glance, and surely looked like he could have found a spot somewhere on a Division I roster.
The Dontell Jefferson comparison perked my ears up because, like Dennis, he was completely off the radar when entering the D-League out of Arkansas. Three seasons full of development in the Development League later, though, he was a sometimes-valuable cog in Larry Brown's Bobcats' rotation as a defensive specialist.
Similarly, Jonathan Givony and company seem to believe the D-League is the best for Dennis (it's weird to refer to him as Dennis, isn't it? Should I go with "Mr. Dennis?" Or just "Stephen Dennis?" Or is there a nickname he has? Tune in next time I'm able to write about him to find out!) as well:
Even the Division II players (particularly Kutztown's Stephen Dennis and LeMoyne's Laurence Ekperigin have had strong showings thus far, showing just how deep and talented the pool of American basketball players has become these days, even if the severely limited amount of open NBA roster spots will not be able to accommodate even a fraction of them.
If the justification for the existence of the NBA Development League hasn't been made loud and clear with the sheer amount of callups made this season and the way they've subsequently performed in the NBA, that case has only become stronger here in Portsmouth.
Godspeed, Mr. Stephen Dennis, on your way to an NBA Summer League team. Hope to see you stateside next season.
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