It's a busy week for Orange NBA draft hopeful Scoop Jardine, squeezing in as many NBA workouts as he can before next Thursday's draft. Jardine worked out for the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday and had another planned with the Utah Jazz on Friday. He's already worked out for the New York Knicks and his hometown Philadelphia 76'ers, along with a great number of other teams. While most draft experts don't have him on their projected draft lists, Scoop says he's very confident heading into next week.
"Everybody's been really high on me," says Jardine, "the scouts like what I could bring to the team. I'm in a great position, and it will put me in a great position for the draft."
While Jardine's fellow Syracuse teammate Dion Waiters has shut down all pre-draft workouts, leaving many to assume he has a top 15 draft promise, Scoop's other Orange teammates and draft hopefuls Kris Joseph and Fab Melo have been supporting each other as they try to impress as many NBA scouts as possible.
"I just left Dallas yesterday, and Kris Joseph and Fab Melo called me, and they want to know what's the workout and what should they be expecting," explained Scoop, "It's different, but it's still a team because I got three other players in the draft with me because we talk and give each other feedback."
Scoop Jardine has had to prove himself on the court almost the entire time he was a member of the Orange, allowing him to become a more mature and seasoned leader on the court. Jardine hopes it's those leadership qualities that make will land him on an NBA roster next season.
"That's a plus right there having teams seeing what you can and cannot do," adds Scoop, "I go to these workouts and I give everything I have."
Jardine hopes that effort will lead to a his dream of a successful NBA career coming true. "Five years from now *I hope to* be in the NBA and playing for my second championship. I see so much I can do off the court, I want to put myself in a position where I can help younger kids."
