Jam pleased with draft, selects Blakely with first pick
| Monday, Nov 01 2010 10:50 PM
Last Updated Monday, Nov 01 2010 11:09 PM
While mostly sounding cautiously optimistic, Bakersfield Jam coach Will Voigt couldn't help but get excited a few times when asked how his team fared in Monday's NBA D-League Draft.
Able to land several players high on its draft board, including University of Vermont small forward Marqus Blakely, in the first round (No 12 overall), the Jam added several pieces that Voigt believes should make the team successful this season.
"We targeted a couple of guys early in the draft and we were able to get them," Voigt said. "That's always a tense moment as you watch names go off the board. So were really happy there. We're still trying to make some moves potentially to help our roster in the long haul but we're really really pleased with what we've got in place right now."
Chief among them are Blakely, who averaged 17.3 points 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game last season in leading the Catamounts to the NCAA tournament.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound small forward had 24 points and 18 rebounds in the American East Conference championship game against Boston University.
In April, he won the NCAA slam Dunk contest.
Blakely then made a strong showing playing for a Los Angles Clippers summer league team in Las Vegas.
"He (Blakely) is somebody that was off everybody's radar and then went from Portsmouth, which is an invitational camp for seniors, and has just risen up the boards. He was very close to making the Clippers' opening night roster and we think he is going to be a very good player for us in Bakersfield."
With its second round pick (No. 23 overall) the Jam selected 6-foot-9 Brandon Wallace. The University of South Carolina was a member of the Boston Celtics for the early part of the 2007-08 NBA season before being released by the team.
Wallace, who set the Gamecocks school record for blocked shots with 249, is expected to be a defensive force inside the paint and a solid rebounder.
Because of the serpentine format used by the D-League, the Jam selected 12th during odd numbered rounds and fifth during even numbered rounds.
Former Nevada-Reno standout Nick Fazekas was chosen No. 1 overall by the Reno Bighorns.
In the third round the Jam took 6-foot-3 guard Kenny Taylor out of the University of Texas.
After that the Jam selected in order: Cyrus Tate (Iowa), Lorrenzo Wade (San Diego State), John Bryant (St. Joseph's), Ollie Bailey (Oklahoma City University), and Maurice Acker (Marquette).
"The proof is in the pudding," Voigt said when asked to assess the draft. "When we get them here and we've had time we'll really know (how well we did). In terms of on the draft board and anticipating where we could get guys we really got everybody with the exception of one player. In an eight-round draft to have that kind of success is pretty rare."
Joining the eight draftees to make up Bakersfield's current 17-player roster are holdovers Trey Johnson, Jeremy Wise, Longar Longar, Patrick Mutombo, and Reece Gaines along with Drew Naymick, Stephen Dennis, Isaac Wells, and Tyler Newton.
Naymick (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dennis (Los Angeles Clippers) come to the Jam via its two NBA affiliates while Wells and Newton were chosen from a tryout camp.
