Basketball: Age, screw can’t stop Young from first round

It’s fitting that after four years of hard work to put himself on a higher level than his… It’s fitting that after four years of hard work to put himself on a higher level than his competition, all former Pitt basketball forward Sam Young wants to do is be alone when his name is called at the NBA Draft on June 25.

He wants his solitude, some time to reflect and maybe time to celebrate where he’s been and where he’s about to go in his basketball career. It is through the Draft he will find out exactly where he’s going when the next chapter of his life begins later this week.

One more thing that singles out Young is his age. At 24, he’s older than most other players in the Draft.

“Teams know they’re not drafting me for potential,” Young said.

Twenty-four is ancient in terms of an NBA prospect, and teams often draft younger players in hope of them improving over time. With Young, teams pretty much know what they are getting if they snag Young.

“We had to look at him and say, ‘Look, with Sam, you’re going to get a guy who scores in the paint, is an exceptional defender and rebounds well. What more do you want from a mid-to-late first rounder?’” said an NBA scout who requested anonymity because the scout’s team is considering drafting Young.

While his age might scare off some teams who don’t think Young can improve much, others see his situation as a positive.

“I think he’s more mature, he’s not going to be one of those guys that will be just happy to be there in the NBA,” Pitt assistant coach Brandin Knight said. “In his case, his body is in shape, he’s very durable, and he will handle a lot of things that other 19- or 20-year-olds will struggle with.”

Even though more than half of the Draft hopefuls are 21 or younger, there’s no question NBA commissioner David Stern will announce Young’s name, as it is customary for him to announce all the first-round selections. Young has traveled around the past few weeks working out for various teams and said he’s received mostly positive feedback.

“I was one of the best guys at a few, if not the best, at some of the workouts,” Young said. “I felt like I finished my year strong, but these workouts are definitely helping me out.”

The teams showing the most interest, according to Young, are the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trailblazers and Miami Heat.

With the 15th overall selection, Detroit is an intriguing possibility for Young. Not only could it fit him in its offense as a scorer, but its commitment to tough defense matches Young’s intensity on the defensive end.

Defensive commitment and toughness are all trademarks of Pitt basketball, which some players can’t help but take with them when they leave the University.“We had a tough team at Pitt,” former Pitt center DeJuan Blair said. “That toughness, that’s what the NBA is looking for, that and a lot of power.”

Did somebody say toughness?

The Toronto Raptors were trying to measure Young’s vertical leap at a workout in mid-May. As Young jumped toward the vertical-leap pole, he caught himself on a knob and a screw was impaled in Young’s arm.

Young needed to go to the hospital, where he said the staff “drugged me up and got the screw out.” Despite being recommended to sit for two weeks to recover, Young was back(caution: video shows some blood) on the courts playing at full speed two days later in front of scouts.

Another possibility not mentioned by Young, but discussed by many on mock draft boards, is the Utah Jazz. Coach Jerry Sloan loves tough, defensive-minded and hustling players. Young would fit the bill if he went to the Jazz at the 20th overall pick.

Along with toughness, Young’s work ethic helped him get better every year at Pitt and put him in a position to go to the NBA.

Right after Pitt’s season-ending loss to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament, Young went to work on improving his ball handling and outside shot. Training in these areas, Young said, will ease his transition from playing power forward in college, to playing shooting guard or small forward in the NBA.

“With Sam, he’s just continued to improve,” Knight said. “He’s one of the hardest, or maybe the hardest, workers I have ever seen. I hope a team will give him an opportunity to showcase his abilities.”

And when some team does give him that chance, it will continue a journey jammed with lengthy sessions of hard work and determination to basketball.

“During his sophomore year, he wanted to work hard on his ball handling and outside shooting. He literally lived in the locker room,” Knight said. “I mean pillow, blankets, everything. He lived there to practice in our facility. That kind of epitomizes the worker he is.”

He’s worked his whole life for this moment. Young knows it will be special, and he’s taking the time to appreciate his hard work by himself.

“I kind of want to just think about the last four years and the last eight years of my basketball career,” Young said. “I have no idea where I’m going to be, but wherever I am, that will be the goal.”