I feel like my game translates to the next level. Yesterday (Thursday) people saw me be myself. I was given the opportunity to play with all these guys in this draft and I feel like I belong here. – Frank Jackson
CHICAGO — Kyle Kuzma already hired an agent, so the Utes forward was turning pro regardless of what happened to his stock this week.
As a 19-year-old freshman with three years of college eligibility remaining, Frank Jackson was in more of a no-lose situation, but just like Kuzma, the Duke guard and 2016 Deseret News Mr. Basketball emerged as a big winner nevertheless.
Kuzma and Jackson were two of the biggest stars of the NBA Draft Combine on Thursday and Friday as a bevy of coaches and executives descended upon the Quest Multisport on Chicago’s west side.
Apparently satisfied that he answered questions about his 32-percent 3-point shooting by going 4 of 5 behind the stripe and 8 of 10 overall in a 20-point showing in Thursday’s 5-on-5 action, Kuzma opted not to return on Friday.
Among Thursday’s other major standouts, Jackson hired an agent on Friday morning — Kevin Bradbury of BDA Sports Management — and in so doing effectively ended his college career following one underwhelming season in a Blue Devils’ uniform.
“The game yesterday, it went well for me,” said Jackson, who starred at Lone Peak High. “People took attention to it and I was able to see that. I was able to talk to my family last night and this is what we want to do.
“I feel like my game translates to the next level. Yesterday (Thursday) people saw me be myself. I was given the opportunity to play with all these guys in this draft and I feel like I belong here.”
Among the youngest draft-eligible players, the 19-year-old Jackson started 16 of Duke’s 36 games and averaged 10.9 points.
Prior to his 13-point, four-assist, one-turnover showing that was perhaps more impressive than the numbers indicate, former St. John’s coach and current ESPN draft analyst Fran Fraschilla indicated that second-round projections on Jackson might be too conservative.
"If you're an NBA team you may take him in the late first round thinking future because of the ability to score,” Fraschilla said.
Jackson said the somewhat disappointing season and a potential logjam in the backcourt next winter with the return of Grayson Allen at Duke and the possible addition of 5-star point guard Trevon Duval had nothing to do with his decision.
“Not at all,” Jackson said. “This is my journey. This is my race. I am the only one who’s running it. I know we would have a great squad back at Duke and I love that place. It is always going to be another home for me to go to. This is a decision based on myself.”
Kuzma’s decision to hire an agent following his breakout junior season at Utah may have been justified by Thursday’s performance.
"I did enough. I didn't really have to prove anything more with my play," Kuzma said. "Any time you (do) that good ... it is different at the next level. There are a lot of politics involved with things. I definitely think it was a good decision. I played really well. I was really happy about it.
"I definitely think I'm a good shooter. It is just consistency. In the second half of the season in Pac-12 play, I shot 40 percent from 3. That showed I can do it and I backed it up at the combine."
Kuzma said he has met with about 10 teams and is in the process of setting up individual workouts. He said he worked out for the Atlanta Hawks two weeks ago.
"I'm getting really positive feedback. A lot of teams are really intrigued by me," Kuzma said. "A lot of teams think I have what it takes to make it. The league is turning to versatile players, especially at the four position."
Prior to the combine, Fraschilla acknowledged the strong season last year turned in by Kuzma — he averaged 16.4 points and 9.3 rebounds — but said Kuzma “has got to make outside shots.”
“He’s athletic enough,” Fraschilla said. “He had a good year. I’ve had him at camp before at the Under Armour All-American camp. I’ll tell you what he does: he rebounds and he plays with really good energy. But for him to stick in the league, he’s going to have to show that he can be a stretch 4 and be a combination of a stretch 4 who can make jump shots, and also be what we call an energy big man.”
ESPN’s Jeff Goodman said Kuzma had generated some buzz prior to the combine.
“A lot of guys I’ve talked to are very intrigued by him because of the way the game has gone,” Goodman said. “I don’t know if he’s a first round (player). I think he’s somewhere in that middle second round as of right now, but it’s so hard to tell. When you try to give these projections and they’re giving them to me and you just don’t know yet who’s staying in and who’s not, so a lot of these can change.”
The combine did not go as well for BYU’s Eric Mika, which could be good news for Cougars fans hoping he comes back.
The 6-10 forward failed to distinguish himself for the second straight day, scoring five points and shooting just 2 of 7 from the field.
Mika has not hired an agent and has until May 24 to declare for or pull out of the draft.
He said he entered his name “with the intention to get drafted,” and he’s going to continue to work toward that goal.
“I’m going to get in as many workouts (with NBA teams) as I can,” Mika said. “I’m still not sure if I’m sticking around here to split the different or go to East Coast or go back West. Those are three areas I can go to. I can probably get in three or four workouts.”
The other player with Utah ties, Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan, appeared at the combine on Thursday but did not scrimmage.
The Salt Lake City native could go anywhere from late first round to mid-second round, according to Goodman. The 6-9 sophomore averaged 18.7 points and 12.6 rebounds last season.
He has not hired an agent.