Maric taking next step
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By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Aleks Maric on Monday was scheduled to depart Abunassar Impact Basketball, a training facility in Las Vegas for NBA-hopeful players.
As of Sunday, Maric hadn’t yet looked at his “before” photo, taken when he arrived six weeks earlier.
“Just a mental photo,” he said.
For that matter, Maric hadn’t seen his “after” photo, either, although he apparently didn’t need a camera to prove results.
“I’ve changed my body, definitely,” Maric said in a phone interview. “I think I’m in very good shape.”
The 6-foot-11 former Husker said he’s trimmed to 265 pounds, about 10 pounds lighter than what he played at during his recently completed senior season at Nebraska.
“I’ve leaned up a lot,” he said.
Now, Maric aims to make the most of his opportunity in front of 30 NBA teams and their coaching staffs. He’s among 64 players expected to participate in the invitation-only NBA Pre-Draft Camp, which begins today in Orlando, Fla., and continues through the weekend.
The camp is designed for those players not expected to be among the top 20 picks, roughly, in the June 26 NBA Draft. The cream of the crop will attend, too, but mostly for networking, physicals and some basic drills.
“I’m expecting to go there and work hard and leave everything out on the court,” Maric said. “Whatever happens, happens. I can’t do anything else. Now, it’s time to put it all out there.”
Nebraska hasn’t had a player selected in the NBA Draft since Venson Hamilton in 1999. If draft experts are correct, Maric won’t end Nebraska’s streak.
That’s why this week looms large. A strong showing could at least net Maric some workouts with teams after the camp.
“It gives him a chance to show all of his stuff in a situation when it’s a more selfish setting than a team setting,” Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. “Aleks was such a team player.”
Sadler said the number of teams that invite Maric for workouts will be a clear indication of how well Maric fared in this week’s camp.
Maric said he and his agent, Andrew Vye, already have a few workouts lined up, but declined to say how many, or with whom. Those workouts, assuming Maric goes undrafted, would be beneficial in helping him potentially land with a team as an undrafted free agent.
Last year, 62 players were invited to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp. Three were drafted in the first round, 17 went in the second round and four signed as free agents.
Sadler will also attend this week’s camp in Orlando and visit with NBA directors of player personnel, several of whom Sadler knows. He said he’ll offer opinions, listen to opinions, answer questions and provide feedback on anything about Maric.
“My deal is I want to go down there and help him in any way I can,” Sadler said, “because he’s done so much for us.”
Other Big 12 players invited to this week’s camp include Bill Walker, Richard Roby, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson, Brandon Rush and Sasha Kaun.
Players will participate in drills tonight, spend mornings in individual workouts and play evening games Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Games are scheduled to be televised on ESPNU at 4 p.m. Wednesday and 4 p.m. Thursday.
Maric, who’s still a few hours short of graduating, said he’ll be looking into online classes to try to complete his degree in communications studies.
For now, that’s on hold while Maric focuses on his professional basketball future.
“You just have to have a mindset to come out and compete,” Maric said. “It’s a business now. It’s a competitive world.”
Briefly
Sadler said he’ll “possibly” have an announcement on the hiring of an assistant coach today or tomorrow.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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