NBA bound? Onyekwe to find out tonight

Ugonna Onyekwe has waited a long time for tonight.

So has the Ivy League.

The recently graduated Penn basketball star anticipates being the first Ivy League player to be drafted since Penn's Jerome Allen went in the second round of the 1995 NBA Draft.

However, Onyekwe will probably have to wait a little while past the 7 p.m. start time of the draft to hear his name called.

"I've heard somewhere in the second round," Onyekwe said of his draft status. "But I'm not sure where."

In preparation for the draft, Onyekwe worked out with Atlanta, Chicago, Clevland, Golden State, Houston, Memphis, Philadelphia and New York.

These teams all have selections in Onyekwe's anticipated draft area, ranging from the 27th pick overall (Memphis) to the 50th (Philadelphia).

"I've worked with a lot of the teams in the 30-40 range," Onyekwe said. "So [I think I'll be drafted] early in the second round."

These workouts were particularly important for Onyekwe, since he was unable to frequently demonstrate his skills against top competition by virtue of playing in the Ivy League. He also had a disappointing outing in the prestigious Chicago pre-draft camp in early June.

Onyekwe thinks he dispelled some of the doubts about his game at the individual tryouts.

"I think I did a good job at every one of [the workouts]," Onyekwe said. "I did a good job at Portsmouth [pre-draft camp] and that's about the same level as Chicago. I didn't have a bad outing at Chicago I just didn't do as well I would have wanted to."

Onyekwe was two-time Ivy League Player of the year and Penn's second all-time leading scorer while playing largely at the power forward or four position. However, at 6'8" 225 pounds, Onyekwe is considered too small to be a power forward in the pros, and will likely have to move to three or small forward spot.

"I didn't play it [the three] at college but it's something I've prepared for," Onyekwe said. "I feel comfortable and I think I've shown that I will be comfortable. So I'm confident in my ability to play there."

Onyekwe did make the most of his time in the national spotlight this season when the the Quakers fell to Oklahoma State in the NCAA Tournament on March 21.

In his final collegiate game, Onyekwe put up 30 points on only 17 shots against one of the nation's most tenacious defenses.

The former Penn star also demonstrated the abilities which make him a compelling pro prospect.

"He is intriguing because he is such a good athlete, number one," Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Bob Bender said on sixers.com after Onyekwe's workout. "Number two is he again has a knack for scoring."

Onyekwe has been considered a legitimate NBA prospect since arriving in West Philadelphia four years ago. However, the London, England native has been slipping in several estimations in recent weeks as more high school and foreign players work out for teams.

In a recent mock draft on ESPN Insider Onyekwe was not mentioned in either round.

"I don't really pay attention to that," Onyekwe said. "Those aren't the people who are making the decisions so I don't put too much stock in that."

Given the influx of high school and foreign players -- it is speculated this draft will see foreign players selected at all-time highs -- there are no guarantees for four-year American college stars.

"There are a lot of variables in this years draft," Onyekwe said.

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