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WALTHAM, Mass. – Keifer Sykes and Corey Walden have raked in accolades over their four-year collegiate careers, yet as the 2015 NBA Draft approaches, they are fighting for their lives to have their names called on June 25.
During each of the last two seasons, Sykes, a 6-foot senior point guard at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, has been named Horizon League Player of the Year and AP Honorable Mention All-American.
Walden, a 6-2 senior shooting guard from Eastern Kentucky, is a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and led the nation in steals per game (3.1) last season.
They’re two of the most feared players in their respective conferences, however those two names have rarely surfaced on the mock draft boards.
It’s a challenge that athletes at mid-major programs face: to gain recognition from NBA teams. Meanwhile, top recruits from the Power Five conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) are granted the opportunity to bask in the spotlight.
But on Friday morning, the Boston Celtics gave five mid-major seniors the chance to shine, as they brought in Northeastern forward Scott Eatherton, Georgetown College (Ky.) guard and Boston native Gerard Coleman, Southern Methodist center Yanick Moreira, and the two aforementioned guards for a draft workout.
Walden, who averaged 18.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last season, believes that NBA teams can benefit from taking a chance on mid-major players, who may not have been top high school recruits.
“I feel like some of the hidden gems are buried in mid-major universities,” he said.
Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge said Walden and Sykes, in particular, have been on Boston’s radar for a couple of years. The organization was impressed by their accolades and statistical accomplishments, as well as their level of experience.
“You can always tell the four-year college players,” Ainge said Friday morning. “They come in a little more prepared and a little tougher… a little more seasoned.”
One-and-done players have been trending as the top overall draft picks for years, but Sykes believes that experience breeds excellence.
As he says, the freshman draftees “Have probably seen 30 games in their whole career. I’ve played over 120 games, so teams can look at the landscape of what I can do, and when they bring me in I can show them a lot.”
One disadvantage that mid-major players face is the difficulty of landing a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Sykes may have played 120-plus games, but did not play a single minute in the Tournament. That means less exposure to top-notch competition and less time spent on the national stage.
However, early in the regular season, mid-major teams tend to face nationally ranked, non-conference opponents, providing them an opportunity to compete in the limelight. Both Sykes and Walden have taken full advantage of those opportunities.
Sykes scored 20 points in a loss to No. 3 Wisconsin last November, and then tallied 18 points and seven rebounds during a win over No. 15 Miami in December. Walden also had an 18-point performance against the Hurricanes during a win last December.
“When you play a ranked team, you want to bring that extra focus,” said Walden. “You want to bring that extra determination. You want to come out and compete harder, be extra energetic and bring extra intensity.”
Michigan State’s Travis Trice was the lone Power Five player at the workout on Friday. He’s used to that high-caliber intensity on a daily basis, as a member of the Big Ten. However, he could not tell the difference in the competition level while working out with the five mid-major athletes.
“They’re all great players,” said Trice, a senior who appeared in 15 NCAA Tournament games. “I was just impressed with their intensity and you can tell their hunger to get into the NBA.”
But in reality, come draft night on June 25, it’s not likely we’ll see a lot of mid-major players’ names called.
Last year there were 20 Power Five players drafted during the first round, compared to three from other schools. Keep in mind, of the 351 Division I programs, only 65 are in the Power Five.
But each time a mid-major player does get selected, it provides optimism for small-school players. There are a few who have made it big, such as Damian Lillard (Weber State), Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State) and George Hill (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis).
Green Bay center Alec Brown was drafted 50th overall by the Phoenix Suns last year. Sykes’ face lit up at the mention of his former teammate’s success.
“It gave me a lot of hope to see him get drafted,” said Sykes, who put up 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest last season. “To have back-to-back players drafted… I think it would do a lot for the University and for mid-majors as a whole.”