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NBA Combine Invitations Suggest Notre Dame Prospects Chances

All three Notre Dame players testing the professional waters appear to rank on different tiers.

Junior guard Demetrius Jackson, senior forward Zach Auguste and junior forward V.J. Beachem all have declared for the upcoming NBA Draft. Jackson hired an agent, ending any chance he could return to school with his one year of eligibility remaining.

Auguste exhausted his college eligibility, and thus will also not return to Notre Dame next year. Beachem, however, did not hire an agent and could return to school if he chooses.

Jackson received an invitation to the upcoming NBA Combine and will participate in the event May 11-15. According to the South Bend Tribune, Auguste did not receive an initial invitation but is still under consideration for a spot.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman reported Beachem did not receive an invitation among the estimated 70 sent out.

Demetrius Jackson should ensure two straight years of NBA first round picks for Notre Dame.
Demetrius Jackson should ensure two straight years of NBA first round picks for Notre Dame.
USA TODAY Sports

Demetrius Jackson

It's no surprise to see Jackson's name show up among the roughly 70 invitations to the Combine. The former Irish junior was projected as a borderline lottery pick all year by mock draft websites.

DraftExpress.com slotted Jackson No. 11 overall to the Orlando Magic in their most recent projection on April 26.

"While Jackson has some weaknesses, it's difficult to find point guards who display the same level of potential he does as a shooter, scorer, playmaker and defender, especially with his athletic tools," DraftExpress's Jonathan Givony wrote in his evaluation of Jackson. "Many of his deficiencies are things he can continue to work on, and by all accounts he has the type of intangibles you look for in a budding prospect that will be coachable about addressing his flaws.

"It certainly helps that this appears to be a fairly shallow draft class in terms of starting caliber point guards, which should give him a great chance to be invited to the Green Room on draft night."


Zach Auguste

On the other hand, it's tough news for Auguste to not land an invitation. The 6-10 forward appears to be on the outside looking in when it comes to draft night, with most experts not including him in their projected field of 60 selections.

DraftExpress ranks him No. 90 overall in their list of top 100 available prospects.

"While Zach Auguste improved considerably during his four years at Notre Dame, his NBA prospects remain unclear," the site's Kyle Nelson wrote. "Without a jump shot and inconsistent on the defensive end of the floor, Auguste is a center in a power forward's body, without the scrappiness and rim-protection prowess to compensate.

"After an impressive senior season, however, Auguste will have plenty of opportunities to distinguish himself in private workout settings. While his career at Notre Dame left scouts with more questions than answers, his physical profile alone suggests that he could still develop into a NBA player down the road, possibly after some refinement in the D-League or overseas."


V.J. Beachem

Since Beachem announced his intentions to declare for the draft on April 12 (link), it seemed unlikely the junior would actually forego his senior year for the professional leagues.

“I really pushed for V.J. to take advantage of the new rules to get a better understanding of his future in professional basketball,” Irish head coach Mike Brey said via a release on April 12. “He finished the season on an outstanding run, and the ability to go through this process will be another step forward in his confidence as a player and as a leader in our program.

"This can really set him up for a great finish to his college career or provide him the opportunity to play the game at its highest level.”

The news that he's apparently not one of the estimated 70 names to attend the Combine only supports that earlier thought process.

DraftExpress does rank Beachem No. 60 overall in their top 100 prospects, slotting him at No. 42 overall in the 2017 draft.

"Every bit of the 6-8 (possibly taller), 200 pounds he's listed at, Beachem has excellent size for the wing, the position he looks best suited for long-term," Givony wrote in October. "He has very long arms on top of that, and a lanky, underdeveloped frame that should continue to fill out nicely on time.

"Beachem is a smooth and fluid athlete who looks nowhere close to his full potential physically. He has nice quickness, covers ground well, has some ability to rise up impressively off two feet, and may continue to get even more explosive in time as he matures physically."

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