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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Turiaf thinks he’s NBA ready


NBA draft candidates watch the vertical jump of Gonzaga's Ronny Turiaf. 
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press

This time, Ronny Turiaf thinks he’s ready. There’s no hesitation in his voice, no sense of doubt.

He’s confident he made the right decision a year ago when he withdrew from the NBA draft at the deadline and returned to Gonzaga University for his senior season. Now, he’s sure he’s ready to jump to the next level.

Turiaf is one of approximately 60 players participating in games and drills in the NBA’s pre-draft camp at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, trying to impress NBA scouts, trying to move up in the draft or prove they’re worth being selected.

“It’s like being a freshman in college,” Turiaf said earlier this week. “I’m going to come into a new team next year, an organization that’s already established, and I’m going to try to make myself a useful part by working hard. I’m willing to step in the shadow because it’s something special to play amongst those guys.”

For now, he needs to impress the scouts, coaches and executives. In that sense, Turiaf is no different than the other players in Chicago this week.

A year ago, the 6-foot-10 Turiaf decided staying in school was the right move.

He went through the pre-draft routine and realized he wasn’t ready, so he played his senior season at Gonzaga.

He thinks he’s a better player – stronger on the glass and more potent in the post.

Turiaf averaged 16.1 points and 9.3 rebounds, was the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, and led Gonzaga to a No. 10 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.

“My game stepped up another level,” Turiaf said. “My rebounding went up another level. My game (with my) back to the basket and facing up went up another level. I needed that confidence – that big-time, go-to guy experience.”

He has worked out for Denver, Houston, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston and Memphis, and he’ll visit more teams before the draft.

“Where I’ll fall? I don’t know,” Turiaf said.

He feels as though he has to prove something, to open some eyes, because of where he went to college. Despite its rise to national prominence, Gonzaga remains a small school in a relatively obscure conference.

“I think I’m a good basketball player. I’m going to try to prove the doubters wrong.”

Bogut clearly sees pro future

Andrew Bogut made several things clear: He could see himself playing for Milwaukee or Atlanta next season.

For that matter, he can see, period. He is not in danger of losing his eyesight.

If that seems like a strange statement, well, consider that former Utah coach Rick Majerus reportedly told NBA executives a few weeks ago that Bogut has a degenerative eye disease. So besides the usual questions about his background, his strengths and weaknesses, the 7-foot Australian center from Utah found himself discussing his eyesight and his former coach during a pre-draft news conference.

Bogut, who did not get along well with Majerus, said he hasn’t spoken with his former coach since the rumor circulated. When asked about his relationship with Majerus, Bogut responded tersely: “Fine.”

The same goes for his eyesight. It’s fine, Bogut said. “If every person who wears a contact lens in the United States has a degenerative eye disorder, I think you’d have a lot of sick people,” he said. “I’m not going to go blind in two years, mate.”

Besides reportedly spreading that rumor about Bogut’s eyesight, Majerus told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that North Carolina forward Marvin Williams will be the best player in the draft. Is the former Utah coach crashing Bogut’s stock?

“Not really,” Bogut said. “I think if people believe the rumors that are floating around, that’s up to them. But I know it’s not true. There are no problems between me and him. I don’t have a degenerative eye disorder.”

Bogut said the rumor doesn’t bother him, and if the Bucks pass on him because of that, it would be “their loss.”

Bogut is expected to go to Milwaukee with the No. 1 pick or Atlanta at No. 2 in the draft on June 28, after averaging 20.4 points and 12.2 rebounds.

Pittsnogle will opt out of draft

West Virginia basketball star Kevin Pittsnogle is expected to pull out of the NBA draft.

Pittsnogle planned to leave the pre-draft camp, according to Mountaineers coach John Beilein.

The 6-11 center is scheduled to make an announcement about his future plans this afternoon.