Hoop dreams await stars

By Austin Meek

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

MANHATTAN - It's an exclusive fraternity, five players whose jerseys undoubtedly will decorate the rafters of Bramlage Coliseum by the time all is said and done.

Bob Boozer, Chuckie Williams, Mike Evans, Rolando Blackman and Mitch Richmond are the only first-round picks in 105 years of Kansas State basketball and 60 years of NBA drafts.

The group will have at least one new member after tonight. Michael Beasley has a chance to join Boozer as the only Wildcats selected No. 1 overall, while Bill Walker has been projected as a borderline first-round pick.

Evans, K-State's all-time leading scorer and the 21st overall pick in 1978, will have an added stake in tonight's draft proceedings. He serves as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors, where his experience as an NBA scout is put to good use during draft season.

"That's how I came into the league, from video coordinator to scout," Evans said. "That's part of the background. That was a stepping stone getting me into the league, so I take that part very seriously."

Evans didn't spend much time evaluating Beasley and point guard Derrick Rose, knowing those two players will be long gone by the time Toronto picks at No. 17.

Yet even a casual inspection was enough to convince Evans that Beasley has the tools to become an NBA star.

"Beasley is truly a beast," he said. "He's got big hands. He's almost ambidextrous in that he can use both left and right hands around the basket. He's very, very skilled, a very good rebounder and passer. He can make the mid-range shot and the 3-pointer from the college line. We haven't seen what he can do from the NBA line."

Walker warranted much closer evaluation from the Raptors, who invited the 6-foot-6 forward to Toronto for a private workout.

"He came, he worked out," Evans said. "He was good. We liked what we saw. He has the strength and size. It's just a matter of him getting healthy."

That always seems to be the issue for Walker, who tore cartilage in his knee during a pre-draft workout at Golden State. Walker's camp has maintained that he's a first-round pick despite the injury, though Evans indicated the health concerns might push Walker into the second round.

"I think he has first-round ability," Evans said. "Whether other teams think that's true or not remains to be seen. The only thing holding him back is the fact that he was injured. That's the only thing standing in his way right now. He has to get healthy. The rehab of that particular injury takes awhile. It's not something that you just bounce back from."

It seems there's still no consensus on Walker, long regarded as one of the draft's biggest wildcards.

ESPN's Chad Ford originally predicted Walker would go 29th to the Detroit Pistons, a team reportedly enamored by Walker's individual workouts. Ford later revised that prediction, projecting Walker as the 38th pick despite initially characterizing him as a "steal" at No. 29.

"Bill Walker has the body size to be a decent 3 (small forward) in this league," Evans said. "It's really too bad that he got hurt again, but he has a chance to be a decent player in this league. It'll take him a minute or two to get his mobility back and be able to defend the quicker 3s and the 2s that are in this league. But as far as his size and strength and ability to score around the basket and his athleticism, he displays all of that when he plays. His understanding of how to play the game is good.

"It's just tragic that he got hurt again. Hopefully things work out for him."

Austin Meek can be reachedat austin.meek@cjonline.com.

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