2015 NBA Draft: Rosters Set for Portsmouth Invitational
The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament kicks off tomorrow evening with 64 senior prospects slated to compete in their annual showcase. The “PIT” is one of the nation’s oldest amateur basketball tournaments, held annually since 1953. Now, the tournament serves as the tip-off to an intense period of talent evaluation leading up to the NBA Draft.
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The tournament consists of 12 games over the course of four days featuring eight teams of eight players. To keep with the theme of eights, eight participants from last year’s invitational made NBA rosters this season.
This year’s PIT class features a host of big names looking to make their mark as potential NBA draft picks. Some of the most notable prospects are detailed below, but be sure to check out the complete list of invitees at the bottom the page.
- Wayne Blackshear, Louisville – Once considered a one-and-done talent, Blackshear has battled injuries and inconsistency his entire career. As a senior, he finally began to show glimpses of the NBA talent he was expected to display during his first year on campus.
- Pat Connaughton, Notre Dame – The Baltimore Orioles baseball organization should be very nervous about Connaughton’s presence in Portsmouth. Though Connaughton is already a prized arm for the Orioles ,and is almost certain of some sort of big league future, he hasn’t turned in his sneakers for spikes quite yet. If Connaughton continues to play like one of the best players in the country, he could be facing multiple career options this summer.
- Ryan Harrow, Georgia State – The journeyman point guard has started for three different programs in his college career. He finally found a home at Georgia State, but when the Panthers were stealing the hearts of the country during March Madness, Harrow was hobbled by an injury.
- LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State – Like Blackshear, Nash was supposed to be in the NBA a long time ago. Now the obviously talent wing player is running out of chances to put it all together in order to hear his name called. An early exit from the NCAA Tournament didn’t help his cause, but leading a team to victory in Portsmouth could be a worthy consolation for his draft stock.
- D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s – The Johnnies’ third all-time leading scorer has taken an inspiring journey from anger management class to Senior C.L.A.S.S. All-American. Harrison is a known commodity as a scorer, but his developed traits of maturity and leadership make him a prospect worth watching.
- LaDontae Henton, Providence – While Kris Dunn racked up the accolades in the Big East, it was actually Henton who poured in the buckets as the leading scorer for this year’s Friars team. Now he must prove that he can have the same go-to guy ability against the loaded rosters he’ll face at the PIT.
- Darrun Hilliard, Villanova – Being the best player on one of the nation’s best teams doesn’t guarantee anything at the next level. Many question marks surround Hilliard’s professional future. He’s not big enough to be a shooting guard, but has never shown much as a point guard. Hilliard will be fighting to fit in, and hoping to showcase some talents as a lead guard.
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