As many predicted, former BYU guard Lee Cummard and former Utah Valley guard Ryan Toolson will have to take the long and winding road to a career in professional basketball.
Neither was selected in Thursday's NBA draft. Toolson was an extreme
long shot, while some thought Cummard might be picked late in the
second round. His agent, Chris Emens of
Octagon Sports, really expected a team to recognize Cummard's
all-around unselfish game and basketball IQ and take him somewhere
between the 40th and final pick.
"I just spent five hours on the edge of my seat, so I'm a bit
disappointed," Cummard said late Thursday from his parents' home in
Mesa, Ariz. "Any player wants to hear his name called, but I understand
it's a business."
What seemed to hurt Cummard were projects and surprise picks. Also,
some projected first-round selections slipped to the second round.
Cummard was ranked the 53rd best prospect by ESPN.com, but several players ranked below him — like Henk Norel, Robert Vaden, Emer Preldzic and Lester Hudson — were drafted.
Cummard's age also didn't appear to be a factor considering several
other 24-year-olds were picked. Some experts think Cummard's frame is
too frail, but since the college season ended Cummard has put on 15
pounds through a professionally monitored nutrition program.
The ninth all-time scorer for the Cougars will now try to catch on
with an NBA team as a free agent and should get a chance to showcase
his game on a summer-league roster. He also has offers to play
overseas, but will wait for Emens to sort through all the free-agent
offers that come his way.
"I still have aspirations to play at the next level and I still have
a lot of chances out there, so I'm staying positive. But right now I
really don't know what will happen," Cummard said.__IMAGE2__Toolson, UVU's all-time leading scorer, also will likely try to impress an NBA team this summer, but also has options in Europe.
"I'll talk to my agent and just see what's out there in the summer leagues and see which teams need what," Toolson said.
Utah State's Gary Wilkinson hoped to hear his name called during the 2009 NBA Draft.The Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, despite working
out for several teams leading up to Thursday's draft, never got that
call.
To be honest, he wasn't expecting to.
"I spent the night speaking to youth at some firesides," Wilkinson
said of his draft-night activities. "Just talking to kids in Logan."
The 6-foot-9, 245-pounder was a two-time all-WAC honoree, but his
age of 26 and questions about the injured back he played with
throughout his senior season likely prevented NBA teams from using a
draft pick on the South Jordan native.
Instead, Wilkinson will have to try and impress NBA coaches and
player personnel directors when he suits up for a team — he's already
been told by the Utah Jazz he will be invited to join their squad at
the Orlando summer league — later this summer.
"We're just kind of waiting to see where everyone winds up,"
Wilkinson said. "We'll definitely take the Jazz offer unless there's a
better situation that comes up. I'm excited about that."
Wilkinson led the Aggies to top-25 rankings as a senior and was
named the WAC's Player of the Year after averaging 17.1 points and 6.8
rebounds while shooting 58 percent. He was named the WAC tournament MVP
after leading the regular-season champ Aggies to three wins in three
days in Reno and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
From there, he participated in the Portsmouth Invitational in Virginia and was named to the all-tournament team.
Still, his path to the NBA — if he makes it that far — will have to be as a free agent.
"I'm still hoping I can impress somebody," he said, "and convince them to give me a shot."
Contributing: Jared Eborn, Jim Rayburn, Tim Buckley
E-mail: aaragon@desnews.com