The Utah Jazz have long been rumored to be the favorites to select Jimmer Fredette in next month's NBA Draft, but if that doesn't work out, Tuesday's pre-draft workout will provide a few other players that should end up high on their list*.
The Jazz announced that Tuesday's pre-draft workout will include Westminster's Michael Stockton, son of Jazz legend John Stockton, Kansas's Brady Morningstar, Fredette's BYU teammate Jackson Emery and Virginia's Mustapha Farrakhan (Grandson of Louis Farrakhan, the current head of the Nation of Islam).
All four are unlikely to be selected in this year's draft -- in fact, they probably won't be selected in the first two rounds of the NBA Development League Draft -- but it's nice to see the Jazz front office give them a chance to showcase their wares regardless.
The most interesting player to show up at the workout will be Stockton, simply based on name recognition alone after playing the last four seasons for the NAIA's Westminster Griffins. Stockton led the Griffins in points (18.2), assists (4.2) and steals (2.0) while shooting 54 percent from the field as 6-foot-1 senior point guard.
Morningstar, a 25-year-old redshirted senior who was with the Jayhawks since 2006 after attending a year of prep school after high school, is known as a solid three-point shooter and was apparently named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team this past year. This past season, Morningstar started 25 of Kansas's 38 games while averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 assists and making 50 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc (38-of-76).
Emery is a local kid after being born in Salt Lake City and attending BYU, but he might have some of the best NBA credentials at this tryout after averaging 12.5 points and 3.5 rebounds while being named the Mountain West Conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
Farrakhan, a 6-foot-4 senior, is one of the best leapers in the Draft after registering a 41½-inch maximum vertical at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Farrakhan averaged 13.5 points while earning All-ACC Honorable Mention accolades as a senior.
* = list of undrafted free agent prospects for a currently unscheduled Summer League roster.
Comments
The idea of Brady Morningstar on an NBA floor with an NBA practice jersey on makes me LOL
Props to the Jazz on this comical workout.
By Scott Howard on 05.30.11 8:12pm
Thinking back to the Matt Janning days?
By Jacob Padilla on 05.30.11 9:50pm
Matt has NBA talent
He’s not great, but he’s better than these guys.
By Scott Schroeder on 05.30.11 9:58pm
Matt Janning would use and abuse Brady Morningstar.
By Scott Howard on 05.31.11 4:37am
Just joking.
You were a big Janning fan right? He and Taylor Griffin?
By Jacob Padilla on 05.31.11 6:09pm
Michael Stockton might be interesting...
If for no other reason than his pedigree. He posted some pretty decent numbers, albeit in a division three school, but I don’t blame them for taking a look. Jackson Emery is another that I suppose has shown enough to at least get a workout, but I’d be surprised if he gets another.
By Sean Sullivan on 05.30.11 11:37pm
Agreed
They’re not draftable, but they’re not terrible.
By Scott Schroeder on 05.31.11 12:48am
Not even Division 3. NAIA.
By Scott Howard on 05.31.11 4:37am
No they are not terrible, but
if these same guys were invited to a private D-League workout for the Flash, we would be thinking that there were far better candidates. I think put in that context then they are terrible.
By Surujh Operator on 05.31.11 4:01am
On second thought
I have no problem with this at all…I like it when unknown guys get a chance to shine…ala the D-League, so scratch my “terrible” label. Plus it happens more times than we know about, but only gets highlighted during the Draft time. Teams host private workouts several times a year looking for guys to bring in as depth or benchwarmers just to fill practice time.
By Surujh Operator on 05.31.11 4:12am