FORMER NAIA STAR WILEY HAS BIG DREAMS OF MAKING IT IN NBA

Former Colorado guard Derrick White has gained national notoriety as he attempts to complete the journey from lightly recruited NCAA Division II guard to NBA draft pick.

But White is not the only player attempting to make that improbable jump into the league next month. Jacob Wiley, a 6-foot-7 forward who worked out for the Nuggets on Monday, has been on an overlooked journey of his own.

Wiley was named the Big Sky Conference player of the year last season after averaging 20.4 points and 9.1 rebounds during his lone season as a grad student at Eastern Washington. He spent the two seasons before that playing at LewisClark State College, an NAIA outpost in Lewiston, Idaho, far away from the eyes of most scouts. Wiley had transferred to Lewis-Clark State after an underwhelming freshman season at Montana.

His time at Lewis-Clark State made Wiley, who grew up in Long Beach, Calif., develop a deeper appreciation for the game. He became a two-time NAIA AllAmerican while leading his team to a 54-13 record. The success bred a intense work ethic, and the versatile forward has put himself in position to pursue an NBA career. Some projections have Wiley, 22, going at the end of the second round, but he’ll almost certainly get an opportunity to show teams what he can do during the summer league, even if he’s not drafted.

Wiley’s workout with the Nuggets was his seventh for an NBA team, and he’ll compete in front of the Bulls staff Tuesday in Chicago.

“My work ethic and my energy, I think those two things translate to whatever level I’m playing at,” Wiley said. “I think if I play hard and bring energy, it seems like good things happen.

King: Workouts help. George King will head back to Colorado for his senior season, and the 6-foot-6 swingman believes things he has learned going through the NBA draft evaluation process will give him a boost during his final year in Boulder.

“The big positive thing was coming at and working out in front of the staff,” King said after playing in front of Nuggets coaches and executives Monday. “They are basically telling me the same things the coaching staff at Colorado told me to work on. I’m not necessarily hearing anything I haven’t heard before, but the best thing is just coming out here and working in front of them.”

King averaged 11.1 points and a teamleading 6.8 rebounds last season. He has been challenged heading into his senior years to use his physical tools — including a 7-foot wingspan — to be a more impactful on the defensive end and as a distributor. King entered his name into the NBA draft in April without hiring an agent, giving him the option to return to school.

“If I can defend at a high level,” he said, “I think I have a real shot at playing at the next level.”