Villanova’s Jenkins works out and dishes on Fultz
CAMDEN, N.J. » Kris Jenkins is not surprised that Markelle Fultz has gone from being a player who began his sophomore season at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. on the JV team four years ago to the projected No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
“When you see somebody working extremely hard it doesn’t amaze you, but to everyone else it’s probably like, ‘Wow. Where did this kid come from? How did it happen so fast?’” Jenkins said of Fultz after a predraft workout with the Sixers Tuesday. “We saw some of the journey and to just watch it has been an honor and I’m happy for him.”
Fultz, the man whom the Sixers are expected to take with the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, hails from Upper Marlboro, Md., the same place Jenkins grew up before he went on to fame at Villanova for hitting the winning 3-pointer in Villanova’s 77-74 stunner over North Carolina in the 2016 national championship game.
Jenkins and his brother, North Carolina guard Nate Britt, saw the development of Fultz firsthand.
“It’s crazy,” Jenkins said. “Nate and I have known ’Kelle for a long time. We worked out with Keith Williams, who’s like his handler, his father. We grew up in the same area. ’Kelle’s worked for every single thing that he has. I’m just so happy for him and his family.
“To see where he’s come from and to where he is now and to where I think he can go, the sky’s the limit for him because of how hard he works and how humble he is as a kid and how great a person that he is. Shout out to my man ’Kelle Fultz.”
Jenkins was one of six players the Sixers took a look at in their final predraft workout. The 6-6 forward tried to show the Sixers what he also showed the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks and his hometown Washington Wizards in previous workouts: He is not a onedimensional player and there is a place for him in the NBA.
“I can just play basketball,” Jenkins said. “I’m not just a shooter. I can play the game the right way. I was taught that way ever since I was young and when I went to Villanova they elevated that so that’s just what I carry. I’m tough. I play hard and I know how to play basketball the right way.”
Brandon Williams, the Sixers vice president of basketball administration and general manager of the Delaware 87ers, liked what he saw of Jenkins.
“Good performance,” Williams said. “One, we always want to respect our local guys. It’s always good to see Villanova coaches and players in our gym. The question is for him is he going to be able to shoot it at an elite level and defend the position. I think those were the questions going into this workout.”
Those are questions that have dogged Jenkins throughout his career. He did not have much of a defensive reputation when he arrived at Villanova, but grew into a solid defender during his four years on the Main Line. Jenkins was happy with the way he performed on the defensive end.
“I thought I was in the right position,” Jenkins said. “I made things tough. I contested every shot that my man shot. I helped my teammates and played hard, played tough. That’s all I can do out there is control my effort.”
The odds are that Jenkins will not hear his name called Thursday night. He is not listed on any of the mock draft lists. However, he most likely will get a look as an undrafted free agent. He could wind up in the NBA G-League, formerly the DLeague, or overseas.
“Hopefully the Sixers want me,” Jenkins said. “I love it here, but wherever the chips may fall, whatever road I have to take. I’ve never been one to have the easy road. It’s always been a grind so I don’t expect this to be different.”
Jenkins, who will watch the draft from his home in Maryland, is keeping his options open.
“I would go wherever the best opportunity for me to play at the highest level, which is to play in the NBA,” Jenkins said. “That’s always the dream. That’s always been the dream and it will continue to be the dream no matter what road I have to take.”
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The other players the Sixers looked at Wednesday were Michael Young, a 6-9 forward out of Pittsburgh; Kadeem Allen, a 6-3 guard from Arizona; Michael Ojo, a 7-1, 290-pound center from Florida State; 6-4 guard Spencer Weisz of Princeton, the Ivy League Player of the Year; and Youssoupha Fall, a massive 7-3¾ center from Senegal, who made Ojo look small.
While the draft hopefuls were put through their paces, Sixers coach Brett Brown put Dario Saric through a grueling shooting session on the other court. The 6-10 Saric shot from a variety of places, mainly beyond the 3-point line, and was drenched in sweat by the time the workout was over.