‘ ‘ ‘ A plethora of NBA scouts looked on as Sam Young led the Pitt men’s basketball team over… ‘ ‘ ‘ A plethora of NBA scouts looked on as Sam Young led the Pitt men’s basketball team over Connecticut last Monday with 25 points, DeJuan Blair flipped center Hasheem Thabeet to the ground for one of his 23 rebounds, and Levance Fields drained a key 3-pointer with three minutes remaining. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ They can’t wait for June. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ All three Panthers might be available at this year’s NBA draft, which will be held June 25 at Madison Square Garden in New York. That has NBA teams and analysts alike excited. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘[Pitt coach] Jamie Dixon has got to be wondering why he got so lucky to have this trio come in at the same time,’ said Reid Cherner, sports writer for USA Today. ‘They do so many different things individually, and then they’re so good together.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ As a senior, Young ends his collegiate career at the conclusion of Pitt’s season and will enter the draft. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ A team will select Young in the two-round draft, according to college basketball analysts. Projections slate him in the late first round. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’d be stunned if he wasn’t a first-rounder,’ said Cherner. ‘I don’t know what I’ll have missed if he doesn’t go.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Young’s athleticism makes him an attractive choice for NBA teams. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He’s got the body and the athleticism of anybody in the NBA,’ said John Grupp, sports writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I was in the stands when he was a senior in high school,’ said Cherner. ‘They won the state title. I was in the front row. I watched Sam Young do a triple flip after the game. I looked at my buddy and I said, ‘A kid this size who can do a triple flip is going to the pros.” ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ For Jeff Borzello, freelance college basketball writer and ESPN Radio contributor, Young has NBA-level tools. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Young’s got a great pump fake,’ said Borzello. ‘He can shoot the three. He can drive the net.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But Young’s draft stock may drop because of his age. He will be 24 on draft night, and ‘compared to other prospects who are 19 or 20,’ said Grupp. He may fall to the second round because of his age, said Borzello. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Young decided against entering the draft last year, opting to return for his senior season. This season, teammate Blair faces a similar decision. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Pitt sophomore center can decide to return to Pitt or waive two years of eligibility to enter the NBA draft. Blair said his mind is currently on Pitt basketball, and he won’t make a decision until after the season. The deadline to declare for the draft is April 26. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If Pitt wins the national title, which I think they have every chance to do, that’s a hard decision not to go,’ said Cherner. ‘Because I think he’ll be credited with much of it, and rightly so. If you’re at the top of your game, it’s hard to come back.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If they don’t win, he has to look and he may leave anyway,’ said Cherner. ‘He has to look to see who’s coming back.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ If Blair does leave, ‘Basically every draft board has him between 15 and 25,’ said Grupp. He noted one scout who believes Blair should be between the fourth and 10th picks overall. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He’s all that I heard coming into the season,’ said Providence coach Keno Davis. ‘He’s truly a special player ‘- he plays as hard as any player in the country.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Blair could still improve on his ball-handling, perimeter defense and lateral quickness, said Grupp. Whether he works on his game at Pitt under Dixon or moves on to the NBA remains to be seen. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Point guard Fields, unlike Young and Blair, is not pegged as a sure-fire draft pick. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If somebody said to me they thought he’d go late, I would agree with that,’ said Cherner. ‘If somebody said somebody would take a flyer on him in the first round, I would not be stunned, and if he didn’t get drafted, I wouldn’t be stunned.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ According to Grupp, the senior guard Fields will not be drafted, though ‘he’ll play for a paycheck somewhere, whether it’s developmental league or CBA or something overseas.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He probably won’t be drafted, but he’s a phenomenal passer,’ said Borzello. ‘He can handle the ball.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Borzello noted that Fields’ NCAA-leading assist-to-turnover ratio and leadership qualities will garner attention from NBA teams. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Fields’ weakness may be beyond his control ‘- his height. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He might get invited to a camp, but he doesn’t really have a typical NBA point guard body,’ said Grupp. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘My thing has always been about guys who are 5-foot-10′,’ said Cherner. ‘You’ve really got to do something special to get people to want to draft you. That, I think, will be something that hurts him on draft day.’