D.J. Newbill will continue his quest to reach the NBA this week.
He’s one of 64 college seniors participating in the annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, held in Portsmouth, Va. from April 8 to 11.
Since 1952, the P.I.T has invited 64 of the best college basketball seniors from across the nation in for a four-day, 12-game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team, serving as the de-facto NBA combine for new alums. Most projected first rounders and overseas prospects are ineligible, giving overlooked seniors like Newbill a chance to showcase their skills in front of over 200 NBA scouts.
Over the years, the P.I.T. has been a showcase for a host of future NBA greats such as Rick Barry, Earl ‘The Pearl” Monroe, John Stockton, and Scottie Pippen, including recent stars such as 2015 NBA All-Star and former Marquette standout Jimmy Butler.
Newbill will be one of five Big Ten players at this year’s tournament, joining Minnesota’s Andre Hollins, Iowa’s Gabriel Olasani, Illinois’ Rayvonte Rice, and Ohio State’s Amir Williams. After facing each other twice a season for the last three years, Newbill and Williams will join forces on team Cherry Bekaert along with VCU’s second all-time scorer Treveon Graham and Harvard’s three-time Ivy League first-team performer Wesley Saunders. Anthony Carter, former 14-year NBA veteran and current assistant coach of the D-League’s Austin Spurs, will serve as the team’s NBA assistant coach.
We assessed Newbill’s NBA draft stock following the season, and although there is a very slim chance the Philly product hears his name called on June 25 in New York, an eye-opening performance and possible tournament MVP honors will do wonders for his chance to crack the top-60. If Newbill goes undrafted, we’ll likely see him follow Tim Frazier’s footsteps and join a team over the summer before heading to the D-League in hope of a midseason call-up.
Newbill’s tournament begins Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. when Cherry Bekaert takes on Portsmouth Sports Club, led by Baylor forward Royce O’Neale. You can follow @PITtourney on Twitter throughout the week for updates, and check out the schedule and results here.
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