Virginia forward Justin Anderson confirmed that he would be at the NBA Draft Combine next week. The event runs next week (May 12-17) in Chicago.
The NBA released the expected participants and listed Anderson as a participant in the medical and physical testing, but not the 5-on-5 activities. Other players on that list included Tyus Jones (Duke), Chris McCullough (Syracuse), and Justise Winslow (Duke) from the ACC as well as names like Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky from Wisconsin.
Other participants that will participate in both the physical testing and the 5-on-5 activities are Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse), Pat Connaughton (Notre Dame), Quinn Cook (Duke), and Olivier Hanlan (Boston College) as well as names like Dez Wells (Maryland), Treveon Graham (VCU), Branden Dawson (Michigan State), and Marcus Thornton (William & Mary). ACC players Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Terry Rozier (Louisville), and J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina) are participating as well but to what extent is not confirmed.
Anderson has been preparing this week for the combine and the June 25 NBA Draft at Impact Basketball, a training facility with locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Sarasota. Impact Basketball alumni include UVa’s own Roger Mason Jr. and last year’s NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard among many others.
.@JusAnderson1 and @RondaeHJ23 getting their work in with help from our @SKLZ D-Man pic.twitter.com/tzDgZXEN7a
— Impact Basketball (@impactbball) May 7, 2015
Anderson decided to bypass his senior year at Virginia to enter this year’s draft, saying that it was a difficult decision but that he was ready to become a professional athlete. He discussed his decision with family, coaches, teammates, former Cavaliers, and received formal feedback from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee. Anderson said that the information her received back during the decision-making process “was spot on and accurate from what I’ve been hearing, and that’s mid-first [round] to early second, but that’s not what I worry about now.”
At DraftExpress.com, which updates its standings nightly at this point in the year but does not yet take into account team needs, Anderson is projected 28th overall as the L.A. Clippers’ pick in the first round. While Anderson certainly would fit in with Lob City thanks to his leaping abilities, mock drafts are really just for entertainment. NBADraft.net has Anderson at No. 23 with Portland’s pick as of the end of April. The analysts at CBSSports.com have varied spots for Anderson as of the end of April. Sam Vecenie sent Anderson to the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 25 and Gary Parrish has Anderson landing with the Lakers at No. 27.
For a DraftExpress.com scouting report on Anderson including video, click here.
