Sleeper Katelynas games' biggest find
By Chad Ford, ESPN Insider

The goal of every NBA prospect forced to play at the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational Tournament isn't improving one's draft stock – it's surviving.

Play well here and the powers that be might give you another look at the more prestigious Chicago pre-draft camp. Screw up and the chances of getting drafted slip to almost nothing.

Given those parameters, no one played well enough at the PIT to get into the first round, but several players did enough to get a second look at Chicago.

Insider was at Portsmouth for the first two days of the camp and talked to several NBA scouts and one NBA GM for their thoughts on the last two days. Based on what we saw and the NBA assessments, here's a list of 12 players who will get another shot to prove their worth in Chicago.

Maxiell shined in the PIT, but what's it really mean?Jason Maxiell, PF, Cincinnati
The line: 22.6 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 bpg on 55 percent shooting
The skinny: He was easily the most dominant player on the floor at both ends. He destroyed everyone he played against. His endless energy, toughness and top-notch athleticism really stood out. He also showed a nice mid-range game and ran the floor very well for such a big bulky guy. His measurements (6-foot-5¾ without shoes) disappointed everyone, but his long arms, vertical leap and physical strength might make him an exception to the undersized power forward rule. No one is putting too much stock in what he did at the PIT. Given his talent and physicality, he should have dominated. But if he can have a repeat performance in Chicago, his stock will really climb.

Jackie Manuel, G/F, North Carolina
The line: 18 ppg, 8 rpg on 64 percent shooting
The skinny: Manuel averaged a very underwhelming 5.5 ppg at UNC his senior season. While scouts knew he was an excellent defender, the last time he averaged double-digits in scoring was during his senior year of high school. Manuel opened a lot of eyes at Portsmouth with his athletic, aggressive play. While his jump shot still leaves a lot to be desired, his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim was outstanding. He'll need a repeat performance in Chicago to get any serious interest in the second round, but he could eke out a living in the NBA as an athletic defensive specialist who likes to run the floor.

Mindaugas Katelynas, F, UT-Chattanooga
The line: 13.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2 bpg on 49 percent shooting
The skinny: The real sleeper of Portsmouth. This hard-working, super-athletic Lithuanian got the highest praise possible from one NBA scout when he compared Katelynas to a poor man's Andrei Kirilenko. While Katelynas doesn't quite have the size, length or shot-blocking ability that Kirilenko has, he has a similar game. Both are hyperactive on both ends of the floor, and take only high-percentage shots. Katelynas might have a little bit steadier jumper than Kirilenko. While no one expects him to turn into AK-47 someday, he looks like he could be a nice second-round steal and a solid NBA rotation player. With a solid performance in Chicago, he might get a look late in the first round.

Jared Homan, PF/C, Iowa State
The line: 16.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg on 57 percent shooting
The skinny: Homan is a big, strong and active forward who will get serious interest from NBA teams in the second round. He showed a very well-rounded game, scoring inside and showing a nice jumper and even a little hook shot. He blocked some shots and crashed the boards consistently. The most impressive thing about Homan is that he actually seems to have some basketball IQ for a bruiser. His feel for the game is pretty good. He won't ever be a star at the next level, partly because he's a bit undersized at 6-9. But as far as backup centers go, he's not too shabby.

Will Conroy, PG, Washington
The line: 8.6 ppg, 9.3 apg, 2 tpg on 48 percent shooting
The skinny: Conroy has been overshadowed through the years by Nate Robinson, but he proved in Portsmouth that he's worth a second look. He has the ability to score both through penetration and with the jumper, but he prefers to dish the ball. He recorded a PIT-high 16 assists with just one turnover in his last game on Saturday. He's got the size and quickness to be a decent NBA backup point guard. It's unclear whether he's on the second-round radar yet, but lots of scouts were commenting on how impressed they were with his play.

Ivan McFarlin, PF, Oklahoma State
The line: 23.3 ppg, 9 rpg on 54 percent shooting
The skinny: McFarlin paired with Maxiell to create absolute havoc on both ends of the floor. Like Maxiell, McFarlin is an aggressive bruiser who is a killer on the offensive glass. And like Maxiell, he's undersized, measuring just 6-6 without shoes, 6-7 with shoes. However, he isn't nearly as long or as athletic as Maxiell. With that said, he had the single best game of the tournament, dropping 34 points with 11 boards on 16-for-23 shooting in his game Saturday. That's enough to get him another look, though his pro prospects still look a little bleak.

Jeremiah Massey, PF, Kansas State
The line: 19 ppg, 7.5 rpg on 65 percent shooting
The skinny: Considering that this is the year of the undersized four, it's appropriate that Massey is also on this list. He measures at 6-7, but is super-athletic and active on both ends of the floor. He isn't quite the rebounder that Maxiell and McFarlin are, but his motor and shot blocking had scouts taking notice. His ability to get to the line and make free throws is also impressive. However, in the end, his stock is going to suffer, no matter how hard he plays, because of his size.

HayesChuck Hayes, F, Kentucky
The line: 15.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg on 53 percent shooting
The skinny: Here we go again. The MVP of the PIT was very solid on both ends of the floor. He also showed that he can make the great pass, which helped his stock. But in a draft filled with 6-6 and 6-7 power forwards, Hayes will have problems distinguishing himself. He's solid in just about every way. But solid, at that size, rarely cuts it at the next level.

Filiberto Rivera, PG, UTEP
The line: 9.3 ppg, 7 apg on 45 percent shooting
The skinny: Rivera's numbers don't jump out at you, but scouts generally are high on Rivera. He's got good size and quickness for the position. He's not a liability offensively, even though his instinct is to pass first. And Rivera sees the floor very well and is very good at playing the up-tempo game. He was outstanding at Portsmouth, but the scouts Insider talked to all wanted to see him again in Chicago. He's a likely second-round pick.

Mustafa Al-Sayyad, F/C, Fresno State
The line: 9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.3 bpg on 50 percent shooting
The skinny: After a very solid opening game, Al-Sayyad struggled in his last two outings. He's very, very raw, but scouts are intrigued by his size, strength, athleticism and 7-4 wingspan. With so few big guys in the draft, he deserves a second look.

Quemont Greer, F, DePaul
The line: 20 ppg, 6.3 rpg on 51 percent shooting
The skinny: Greer put up one of the best stat lines of the tournament, but didn't exactly get rave reviews from scouts. Several have liked him all year, but felt he shot the ball too much (though it's tough to complain about his 51-percent shooting percentage) and did little else. He'll get an invite to Chicago and it will be interesting to see what he does there. Some scouts like him as a second-round, Bobby Simmons-type prospect. But despite the 20 ppg average, he didn't really do a lot to help himself here.

Taylor Coppenrath, F, Vermont
The line: 16.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg on 57 percent shooting
The skinny: Coppenrath has gotten plenty of hype over the season and had a decent outing in Portsmouth. He shot a high percentage, grabbed some boards, even had a couple of blocks. He was absolutely dominated by Maxiell in the opening game, however, and struggled to shake off that perception as the tournament continued. Coppenrath is what he is, and that's not going to change. While he might get an invite to Chicago so scouts can continue to watch him against better competition, they pretty much have a handle on him. On the right team, he might be a pretty good role player. For many, he wouldn't make the roster.

Maxiell sounds like this year's Josh Howard. aka, drops because of his height and kids who can't play as well as him, but have an inch or two on him get picked ahead of him. It'd be nice to get a SG/PG like this in round two.

Posted by crzymdups:

Maxiell sounds like this year's Josh Howard. aka, drops because of his height and kids who can't play as well as him, but have an inch or two on him get picked ahead of him. It'd be nice to get a SG/PG like this in round two.

Maxiell is a version of Ruben Patterson, along the same lines.

Danny Granger, if he falls late is going to be a good player

Mindaugas is a very interesting player. Saw the college dunk contest as well and his hops and enthusiasm were off the charts. Apparently he has been very impressive. I think he only played 2 years of ball at division 1.