McNeal, Matthews preparing for workouts
Classes are nearly completed, the agents are hired and workouts for NBA teams being scheduled.
Such is life for Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews these days.
McNeal hired Doug Neustadt, who came highly recommended by two clients that McNeal knows well: Travis Diener and Steve Novak.
Neustadt helped position both former MU players to be drafted early in the second round -- 38th by the Orlando Magic in 2005 and Novak 32nd overall by the Houston Rockets in 2006.
"I felt like he had a lot of experience in dealing with guys who are trying to move up in the draft, don't have a for-sure spot in the draft," McNeal said. "Those guys, they let me know if I need any help, 'This is the whole process we went through,' and they both spoke real highly of Doug."
McNeal has been traveling back and forth between Chicago and Milwaukee, juggling his final class and workouts at famed NBA trainer Tim Grover's A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in his hometown, trying to prepare himself for his upcoming slate of workouts.
"It's pretty good. I just started it this past week," McNeal said. "I got a lot of skill work done, some conditioning and lifting. Go in, and stay about four hours each day. After that, it's pretty much up to you, what you do. Most of the time I end up going back home and spending time with my family."
McNeal said the list of draft-eligible players he'll be working out with will grow as semesters end at various schools, but to this point he's spent most of his time with DePaul's Mac Koshwal, Bryan Mullins of Southern Illinois and other players from the area.
McNeal, who'd just finished a workout at the Al McGuire Center when I talked to him earlier this week, didn't have the list of teams handy for whom he'll be working out, but did say he's expecting a full slate.
"All I know right now is I start off the first week in May," he said. "Later on in that week I've got a workout scheduled with Oklahoma City and then after that, things start to pick up. Doug's supposed to be sending me a calendar with everything penciled in on it, where I'm going to be at for what days."
Matthews, who was named to the all-tournament team at the Portsmouth Invitational, has also been doing some traveling back and forth between campus and a workout facility trying to prepare himself. Except Matthews' trips have been quite a bit further: to Washington D.C.
Matthews hired Octagon Sports, a firm out of McLean, Va., to represent him, and has been training with North Carolina State's Brandon Costner, Pittsburgh's Sam Young, Miami's Jack McClinton and Tennessee-Martin's Lester Hudson.
"It's tough, but nothing we haven't seen before," said Matthews. "In the mornings we're with a guy who does a lot of stuff with LeBron, Carmelo, Chris Paul, on the court, mixing conditioning and skill work. Then in the afternoon we work out with our strength guy. A lot of similar stuff that we do with Todd Smith -- plyometrics, quickness, agility, strength."
Matthews, who like McNeal has only one class this semester, said he's been enjoying the ride so far.
"It's been fun," he said. "Right after the season you didn't initially want to think about this next step because I wasn't ready for it. I wanted to keep playing, keep trying for the Final Four. But it's difficult. I think it's harder than selecting a school because this is really who I have to put a lot of trust into to do what I want to do and make that happen."
Invitations haven't yet gone out for the NBA's pre-draft camp to this point, which has moved back to Chicago and will only include individual testing rather than games as it had in years past.
Matthews' performance in Portsmouth certainly won't hurt his chances of being invited. McNeal, who's projected as being drafted anywhere from late in the first round to the mid-second round, turned down an invitation to play in Portsmouth but probably has a good shot at being called to Chicago.
"I don't know if it's lost its importance, but you're not playing there," Matthews said. "All you're doing is getting measured, can you jump, can you run? Stuff like that. I really don't know the significance of it, if I didn't go or wasn't invited.
"Portsmouth showed people that I can play in another system, another setting, and I can make basketball plays from the guard spot. I think a lot of people questioned whether I could play guard because so many times during the season the team needed me to be on the blocks, in the post."
Matthews has six workouts scheduled thus far: Portland, Houston, Minnesota, Memphis, Washington and Milwaukee.
"There's a lot of interest," he said. "I've just got to make sure I keep training, and be ready for them."
Attempts to reach Dominic James to this point have been unsuccessful. Assuming I catch up with him at some point, I'll be sure to provide an update on the goings-on with his career as well.
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