Agent for Maric focusing on NBA
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By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Andrew Vye, the agent for former Husker and NBA-hopeful Aleks Maric, said he hasn’t yet explored overseas playing opportunities for his client.
Consider that Vye’s glass-half-full approach as the NBA Draft unfolds tonight.
“We’re full-tilt toward the NBA now. That’s our goal,” Vye said Wednesday. “I have not spoken to a single overseas team at this point.”
Maric, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound center from Australia, is looking to become the first Nebraska player selected in the NBA Draft since 1999. That’s when Venson Hamilton was taken in the second round as the 50th overall pick.
Mock drafts on ESPN.com, DraftExpress.com and NBADraft.net don’t include Maric among the 60 picks. Vye, though, said it’s a “wait-and-see” situation.
“There’s no way to predict the draft after about the first nine or 10 picks, if you can even pick that,” Vye said. “As it gets deeper into the draft, there’s no way to predict. Everybody wants a prediction and this type of stuff, but I’ve been doing this so long, I know that’s wasted breath to predict.”
If Maric isn’t drafted, Vye said, it’s likely he’ll sign as a free agent and begin playing on that team’s summer league team.
“If he goes undrafted, the minute the draft is over, the phone starts ringing,” Vye said. “We track the draft and look at the rosters, and we have our depth charts. We try to find a place with a need at his position with a team that has an interest in him.”
Maric has worked out with Boston, Indiana, New Orleans, San Antonio and Houston — workouts that Vye labeled “excellent.” Longtime director of NBA scouting Marty Blake said Maric also performed well at the pre-draft camp in May.
Vye said teams want to have rosters set before summer league play begins, which means Maric should know about his NBA future no later than July 4.
“By next weekend, everything will be clear,” Vye said, “if not clear (tonight).”
A first-team All-Big 12 player, Maric finished his Nebraska career ranked fifth all-time in scoring (1,630 points), second in rebounds (1,030) and sixth in blocked shots (145). Maric also tied the NU single-season record with 335 rebounds.
Maric, an Australian who’s of Serbian descent, is among several international big men who could be drafted. The list includes Ante Tomic, Nikola Pekovic, Nathan Jawai, Omer Asik and Semih Erde.
“Aleks has done everything he possibly could,” Vye said. “We’re just going to wait and see what happens.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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