Bucks: Four-year college players work out.
Meeks, Mason played four years in college
ST. FRANCIS - On Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks hosted their latest pre-draft workout with a new batch of six NBA hopefuls who project as possible options for the team, which holds the No. 48 pick in the second round.
Five were four-year college players, including a pair that made the most of their final NCAA season. One helped his team win the national championship and the other was widely recognized as the national player of the year.
North Carolina’s Kennedy Meeks was driven by the pain of April 2016 when the Tar Heels’ season ended on a buzzer-beater by Villanova’s Kris Jenkins in the national championship game. After briefly exploring his NBA options, the 6-foot-10 forward decided to return to Chapel Hill for a shot at redemption.
He got it, averaging 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game to help power North Carolina’s run to the title. Meeks shined on the biggest stage, averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds per game in the Final Four.
“Definitely I finished the right way,” Meeks said. “I think that was the biggest thing for me; I wanted to leave a champion and I did that.”
Going back to school also gave Meeks the opportunity to continue working on his physique. Early in his college career, Meeks weighed over 300 pounds, a size that hurt his NBA potential.
He weighted in at 276.6 pounds at the NBA draft combine earlier this month — the highest weight for a combine participant since Andre Drummond (278.6 pounds) in 2012 — but that doesn’t do his transformation justice.
Over the years, Meeks has remade himself into a leaner, more muscular and athletic player who has legitimate NBA potential.
“You can see what he’s been doing to take care of himself and get ready for the next level,” Bucks vice president of scouting Billy McKinney said.
The other big name participating in Monday’s workout was Kansas’ Frank Mason III, who was the unanimous choice for national player of the year.
Mason put up stellar numbers while leading the Jayhawks to the Elite Eight. He averaged 20.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49.0% from the field and an eyepopping 47.1% from three-point range.
“By the time he came back to Kansas his senior year, you could see his game had evolved to the point where he was a true leader for that ballclub,” McKinney said. “Tough as heck, gritty and started to make better decisions with the basketball, which is going to serve him well at the next level.”
Unlike most college players of the year, who normally get drafted in the lottery or soon after, Mason is projected as a secondrounder. The knock on him is that he’s just 5 foot 11 — 6 foot in shoes.
The success of Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, who is listed at 5 foot 9 and made the all-NBA second team this season, has meant many comparisons between Mason and the Celtics star during the pre-draft process. That’s a positive for the former Kansas standout.
“Shorter guys getting in the NBA are still filling the stat sheet up, doing what the taller guys do,” Mason added. “It’s not all about the size, it’s more about the heart and what do you do when you get out there.”
Fischer gets his chance: In addition to Meeks and Mason, the Bucks brought in Northeastern guard T.J. Williams, Kentucky forward Isaac Humphries and Connecticut center Amida Brimah.
Also in attendance was former Marquette center Luke Fischer, who was one day removed from graduation.
Fischer, who had already worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers and has spent time with his agency in Atlanta preparing for the next step in his pro career, is preparing for all possibilities.
“It’s scary,” Fischer said. “No matter where I end up I know it’s in the right spot, I know it’s where I’m meant to be. I’m just going to keep working as hard as I can to get to the highest level and that’s all I can do at this point.”
Fischer’s effort hasn’t been lost on the Bucks, who have watched him closely during his three seasons at Marquette. McKinney has been impressed by Fischer’s willingness to use his size and play physically inside.
On Monday, his thoughts weren’t on what the future might hold. Fischer was intent on showing the little, important things he can provide a team at the next level.
“I’m not too worried about showing scoring or anything like that; that’s going to come, no rookie really does that,” Fischer said. “I just want to show that I can set picks, I can guard the ball screen, I can rebound, block shots, do all the dirty work and really do anything that they ask me to . ...
“Hopefully I played well enough to get some people talking about me.”