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Monday, June 11
Updated: June 14, 4:39 PM ET
With a little help, Hunter emerging quickly
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
CHICAGO -- The MVP of the Chicago pre-draft camp was ... Tim Grover.
Who? Well, he's mostly recognized for his work as Michael Jordan's main workout specialist at Hoop Gym. But he probably added a few more clients with his job on DePaul sophomore center Steven Hunter.
Grover spent the past two months with Hunter, molding him into a potential first-round pick.
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I always thought I was a diamond in the rough. ... I had the confidence in my skills. I'm an extremely hard worker and this is a lifelong dream of mine. I knew good things would come if I worked hard because I've always been blessed with the physical skills. ” |
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— Steven Hunter |
Hunter was the player who received the most buzz at last week's camp, which lacked the usual one or two stand-alone talents. Hunter, who averaged 11.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks for the disappointing Blue Demons last season, was the talk of the four-day camp.
But he owes his success to Grover.
"I wouldn't be here without him," Hunter said.
Grover said Hunter went from 205 pounds to a solid 227 through a regimented conditioning program. He said the pair would go through an hour of footwork drills and shots. Then spend another hour in the weight room and play four to five days of high-intense pickup basketball, which included getting in runs with Jordan.
Hunter was the most active of any big man at the camp, blocking shots, running the floor and finishing with more ease than he showed in two seasons at DePaul.
"I always thought I was a diamond in the rough," Hunter said. "I always thought I was an underestimated player. I had the confidence in my skills. I'm an extremely hard worker and this is a lifelong dream of mine. I knew good things would come if I worked hard because I've always been blessed with the physical skills."
Hunter, who is only 19, could be viewed with as much optimism as some of the high school seniors entering the draft. He's still raw, has time to be molded but he's at least played two seasons of competitive basketball.
Hunter has workouts scheduled for Washington, Orlando, Boston and Houston over the next week and more will likely follow after his performance in Chicago's Moody Bible Institute.
After conversations with NBA scouts and observations by ESPN.com in Chicago, here's the rest of the breakdown of who either helped or hurt their draft status after the third and final draft camp before the June 27 draft.
Gilbert Arenas, Arizona: He could have shot up in the first round with a stellar performance. Instead, he was somewhat average. But he's still talented enough to stay in the first round.
Brandon Armstrong, Pepperdine: Shot well enough to be in the second round if he were to stay in the draft.
Cookie Belcher, Nebraska: He's starting to grow on some scouts and could be a late second-round pick as an alternative at the point.
Charles Bell, Michigan State: He saved his draft status with at least one good game out of three. He's still a winner from Michigan State and that should get him in the second round.
Keith Bogans, Kentucky: If he stays in the draft, then he's in the second round and probably deep in round two. He didn't shoot well and was injured but missed a chance to become a standout shooting guard in a draft devoid of the position.
Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Georgetown: He didn't do much, but he's still big, lanky and worth the risk in the second round.
Calvin Bowman, West Virginia: He had a shot to be a sleeper in the first round a month ago but now he has slipped to deeper in the second by not standing out in Chicago.
Jamison Brewer, Auburn: His size at 6-5 for a point guard intrigued some teams and he could be told he's in the second round, which would possibly keep him in the draft.
Damone Brown, Syracuse: Still a mystery and lost his chance to move up, but will probably go in the second round.
Ryan Carroll, TCU: Helped himself considerably by shooting well and should be a lock for the second round.
Eric Chenowith, Kansas: Really hurt himself by not standing out more. He had a shot to move up in this draft but his inability to be consistent means he'll struggle for a second-round spot.
Sam Clancy, USC: He was solid, but not dominating enough to ensure a first-round pick. He was talking all week about returning to school. If he doesn't then he's got a shot at late first or early second.
Jarron Collins, Stanford: He's still big enough to get into the second round but didn't do enough to stand out for a higher slot.
Omar Cook, St. John's: Secured a first-round spot with his competent play at the point.
Maurice Evans, Texas: Would have gone higher had he gone back to school. But he's staying in the draft and he's a likely second-round pick.
Ben Eze, College of Southern Idaho: He's a monster in the middle and is extremely raw. Teams will likely take a flyer on him in the second round because of his rebounding.
Jason Gardner, Arizona: Blew his chance to get into the second round with a poor performance. Best bet is to go back to Arizona and try again next season.
Kenny Gregory, Kansas: Scored well but still lacks a true position in the draft and that could hurt him from being drafted at all.
Alton Ford, Houston: If he stays in the draft he'll probably be in the second round, but not as high as he would like. He failed to impress as a scorer.
Kirk Haston, Indiana: Shot well enough to get into the first round, which will likely keep him in the draft.
Trenton Hassell, Austin Peay: Missed a chance to really surge in the draft by shooting the ball well. He didn't so he's still in the first round but probably really late.
Michael Hicks, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: Wasn't the breakout scorer here that he was in college. But he's still a possible second-round pick.
Steven Hunter, DePaul: The surprise of the draft camp, he'll probably be gone before the first pick of the second round.
Andre Hutson, Michigan State: He was consistently a decent rebounder and finisher but will find a home in the second round.
Ken Johnson, Ohio State: He entered the pre-draft camp scene as a likely first-round pick, but he has dropped after getting outplayed by Hunter. He's now in the second round.
Sean Lampley, Cal: He missed out on a chance to move up and secure a draft spot. He could struggle to make the cut in the second round.
Jamario Moon, Meridian CC (Miss.): He looks more and more like a flyer in the second round. He's an athletic shooter who is a bit untamed but still worth the pick.
Rashad Phillips, Detroit: Failed to distinguish himself and he seems to have hit a plateau. He had a chance to move up in the draft and missed out on the opportunity.
Martin Rancik, Iowa State: His toughness could get him a second-round slot, even though he was brutal from the field in Chicago.
Jeryl Sasser, SMU: Even though he got outplayed at the point, he's still a 6-7 point guard and that alone will get him a spot in
the second round.
Kenny Satterfield, Cincinnati: Really whiffed on a chance to get into the first round. The consensus is that he lost out by shooting poorly and disappearing when he was on the court.
Brian Scalabrine, USC: He helped himself tremendously by shooting well inside and out, playing hard and not being a defensive liability. He should sneak into the first round.
Will Solomon, Clemson: Still trying to prove he's a point guard but needs another season in school to show that he can play the position.
Bobby Simmons, DePaul: Frustrated that he wasn't able to stand out, he needs to go back to school and become a more consistent shooting guard.
Damon Thornton, N.C. State: He didn't stand out as much but he's still talked about as a possible second-round pick.
Earl Watson, UCLA: Continued to be a solid second-round pick. He wasn't going to creep into the first round.
Damien Wilkins, N.C. State: He hurt his foot on the first day and everyone associated with the NBA was trying to implore him to go back to school.
Michael Wright, Arizona: He is what he is and that's a solid, undersized scoring/rebounding forward. He has been a second-round pick and will remain one.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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