Wilcox Impressive In Pre-Draft Workouts
6/17/2002 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 17, 2002
by Ron Tillery, Memphis Commercial-Appeal
Read this full story on the Memphis Commercial-Appeal website
From obscure to ostentatious, back to obscure.
The Grizzlies took a break from working out lesser-known draft prospects last weekend and instead tuned in to the New York show Chris Wilcox put on in Madison Square Garden.
The power forward from Maryland reportedly shined Saturday in a 90-minute workout before 10 NBA teams, including the Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
 |
"He's a lively kid. When you look at him you think, my goodness, where is he going to be a couple of years from now? And plus, he's played for a great coach, a great program and in a great conference."
Memphis Grizzlies President Jerry West>
|
Griz president Jerry West did not attend the high-energy session. West, though, was waiting Sunday afternoon for a report on Wilcox after the Grizzlies looked at Carlos Boozer (Duke), Brandon Davis (Arkansas), Lorinza Harrington (Wingate College) and Maybyner Hilario (Brazil) in a Rhodes College gym.
Wilcox is one of four Maryland stars entered in the June 26 NBA draft proceedings. Joining departed seniors Lonny Baxter, Juan Dixon and Byron Mouton, Wilcox is expected to be drafted first among the four. He could be the fifth lottery selection in Maryland history, the first since Steve Francis was selected second by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1999 draft.
"It'd be nice if we could get a (private) look at him but I'm not sure if that's going to happen," West said of Wilcox. "He's really athletic and a very active kid. I'd consider him a raw talent athletically. But defensively, he affects the game and those are the kind of people - interior defenders - that are hard to find."
Wilcox, 19, entered the NBA draft after his sophomore year. The explosive and powerful 6-10, 225-pounder held a workout in Chicago last week, and is scheduled to conduct a similar and final session later this week in Phoenix.
