The Sun Also Rises (with apologies to Ernest Hemingway)

The 26th annual Pre-Draft Camp finished on June 1 with a trio of exciting games that earned this latest venture plaudits of the highest mark. Most NBA personnel were quick to tab the play among the best in the long history of the camp, which as everyone knows has spanned three decades since the first one in 1982.

The failure of some players to attend (some last minute pull outs) may have cost some cagers a shot at the first round, but there also were some spectacular performances which will be noted in the coming seasons.

It must be pointed out that the only two rookies getting appreciative minutes in this year�s playoffs (Daniel Gibson and Paul Millsap) were both selected in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft. Gibson, who had a 21-points surge in the final quarter of the Cavaliers winning game vs. Detroit, was selected 42nd and Millsap, who led NCAA Division I in rebounding the past three years, was picked 47th by Utah.

A number of players who pulled out of the Pre-Draft Camp a year ago on the advice of people who advised them not to play since they were first round picks slipped into the second round. I�m not going to mention their names, but check the rosters of the various teams � some did not even make it through an entire season.

Who Impressed in Orlando

One of the most impressive players in the recent camp was Yue Sun, a 6-9, 200-pound forward/guard from China who is eligible to be drafted this year since he has a 1985 birthday. International players are automatically eligible to be drafted in the year in which they turn 22 and Sun�s birthday is November 6 of this year. He is a very intriguing player who can even play one, two or three and showed in the shooting drills that he had one of the more perfect strokes in the camp. Last year, he played for the Beijin-Aoshen team in the American Basketball Association, a team that was originally based in mainland China. His season stats included a 13.5 ppg mark, .655 FG%, a 6.0 rebounds-per-game slate and 210 assists (7.0 apg) and a nearly three to one assist to turnover ratio. His court demeanor definitely caught the eye of NBA scouts and he suddenly was thrust into the NBA Draft picture. He has great range and a crossover dribble unlike some left-handers (it works and he can make the play off a transition game). He tired some in his final outing, but that was normal when you consider the amount of travel he must have experienced getting there.

He was not the only player to turn a few heads. Ohio State freshman Daequan Cook, who did not have the impressive frosh year predicted for him, waited until the final day to show his ability. He scored a game-high 22 points in an overtime loss, 93-92, finishing 9-of-15 from the field, 3-of-4 from 3, collecting two assists, two steals and one block. But it was his speed and quicks with the ball that brought back memories of his high school days.

Sun was a member of the winning No. 2 team that emerged undefeated in three games, a team that included Marist guard Jared Jordan, who also moved up the draft ladder, along with another senior, Stephane Lasme of UMASS, who led everyone with 13 blocks in three games along with 16 rebounds.

Another international player, 6-9 center Ali Traore, who played at La Havre (France) was a force inside for the winners, scoring 19 markers in the overtime win and shooting 18-for-27 from the field for a per game FG % of .773 � the top mark in the camp.

Best of the Rest

Others who sparkled were Coleman Collins (Virginia Tech), who did not play well this past season, but had a break-out camp, though his team lost all three games. Collins hit 19 of 35 field goal attempts (he was 7-for-8 from the field in the final game) for a .543% and a points-per-game average of 17.7, the best in the field. Originally a center, he showed he could play the three or four spot and he could slip into the Draft.

Others who played well enough to open some eyes here were Ryvon Covile (Detroit Mercy); Jermareo Davidson (Alabama); Aaron Gray (Pittsburgh); Zabian Dowdell (Virginia Tech); Jared Dudley (Boston College); Taurean Green (Florida); Trey Jackson (Jackson State); Joseph Jones (Texas A&M); Coby Karl (Boise State), who had 17 points in 18:55 minutes of playing time in game three, including a camp-high of 9-for-13 from the line; Carl Landry (Purdue); Lasme (UMASS); James Mays (Clemson); Dominic McGuire (Fresno State); Sammy Mejia (DePaul); Demetris Nichols (Syracuse); Blake Schilb (Loyola, IL); Renaldas Seibutis, a Lithuanian who played at Maroussi in Greece last year and as a 6-5 combo guard, he�ll draw interest especially after shooting .578 from the field; Ramon Sessions (Nevada); Sean Singletary (Virginia); Reyshawn Terry (UNC); Anthony Tolliver (Creighton); Darryl Watkins (Syracuse) and DeShaun Wood (Wright State), who was the MVP at the recent Portsmouth Invitational.

This does not mean that the others not mentioned are not considered prospects. Everyone here had their moments. Of the above, 17 were seniors and all three international players are draft eligible. What a great draft this will be.