The Blazers held two pre-draft workouts at their practice facility Saturday. Here’s a run down of who came in:
NORRIS COLE
Age: 22
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-2, 170
College: Cleveland State
Noteworthy: Averaged 21.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in his senior season at Cleveland State and was named Horizon League Player of the Year.
Draft projection: Draft Express has Cole going as the second pick in the second round. He is point guard who can shoot the 3-pointer. Is known to have excellent intangibles and can learn quickly, but considering Cleveland State’s less-than-stellar schedule, there are still many question marks going forward.
JOSH SELBY
Age: 20
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-2, 183
College: Kansas
Noteworthy: Selby averaged 7.9 points per game last year for the Jayhawks as a freshman. He averaged 32 points, seven assists and five rebounds his senior season in high school and was ranked No 1 among high school seniors by Rivals.com
Draft projection: Draft Express currently has Selby as the No. 3 pick in the second round. He is athletic, can attack the basket and has tremendous shooting range. Still, he wasn’t a major contributor in his lone season in the NCAA.
JACOB PULLEN
Age: 21
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-0, 200
College: Kansas State
Noteworthy: Averaged 20.2 points and 3.7 assists his senior year at Kansas State and was named to the First Team All-Big 12 as a senior and a junior.
Draft projection: Draft Express does not currently have Pullen being drafted. He is ranked 31st among college seniors. While a talented playmaker, he is not a true point guard, and 6-foot combo guards have a tough time in the NBA.
DAVID LIGHTY
Age: 22
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 604, 220
College: Ohio State
Noteworthy: Averaged 12.1 points and 3.3 assists in his senior season with the Buckeyes and was selected to the All-Big Ten third team by the coaches.
Draft projection: Draft Express has Lighty going as the No. 20 pick in the second round. He is athletic, rebounds well and makes good passes, but lacks great jump-shooting ability and lateral quickness.
JIMMY BUTLER
Age: 21
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6-7, 22
College: Marquette
Noteworthy: Averaged 15.7 points and 6.1 rebounds last year at Marquette as a senior. Butler, who is close friends with Wesley Matthews, was also an All-Big East honorable mention selection last year.
Draft projection: Draft Express has Butler going as the second pick in the second round. He has a high basketball IQ, a willingness to work and decent scoring ability, but does not possess exceptional athleticism.
JUSTIN HOLIDAY
Age: 22
Position: Guard/Forward
Height/Weight: 6-6, 185
College: Washington
Noteworthy: Averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds his senior season with the Huskies and was named to the Pac-10 All-Defensive team.
Draft projection: Draft Express does not currently have Holiday being drafted, although he is an explosive athlete whose length is known to bother people defensively.
TREY THOMPKINS
Age: 21
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6-10, 245
College: Georgia
Noteworthy: Averaged 21.6 points and 5.2 rebounds last year for the Bulldogs as a junior and was named First Team All-SEC by the conference’s coaches.
Draft projection: Draft Express has Thompkins going as the No. 12 pick in the second round. He is a solid shooter for his height and can handle the ball well. His effort, however, comes into question, which is perhaps best exemplified by his 15.5 percent body-fat percentage.
JUJUAN JOHNSON
Age: 22
Position: Forward/Center
Height/Weight: 6-10, 221
College: Purdue
Noteworthy: Averaged 20.5 points and 8.6 rebounds in his senior season with Boilermakers, and was a consensus First-Team All-American.
Draft projection: Draft Express has Johnson going as the ninth pick in the second round. He is long and athletic and among the best leapers in the draft. However, he struggles as a post defender and is not considered to be a tremendous rebounder.
DEMONTE HARPER
Age: 21
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-4, 195
College: Morehead State
Noteworthy: Averaged 15.5 points and 3.4 assists in his senior season at Morehead State and hit a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds beat fourth-seeded Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Draft projection: Draft Express does not currently have Harper being drafted, although he is a quick guard who has shown the ability to knock down the 3-ball.
