NEWARK, N.J.—In less than 48 hours, one former Morehead State star will know his fate. The other may have to wait a bit longer, but will also join the professional ranks in the coming weeks.
Demonte Harper and Kenneth Faried, both of whom graduated for MSU in May, expect to be suiting up for their first professional games this fall. The two have taken very different paths, but both routes will culminate with the continuation of their basketball careers.
The first step of that continuation comes Thursday night when the NBA Draft will be held in Faried’s hometown of Newark, N.J. Faried plans to attend the event, which is being held in the Prudential Center instead of the usual Madison Square Garden. MSU fans can follow the draft live on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m.
“[The draft in Newark] is special to me because it’s never been anywhere else except the Garden,” Faried said. “For it to be in my hometown is a great feeling overall. My family can come because it’s right there.”
But where Kenneth will be drafted is still somewhat of a mystery. Early mock drafts had the modern-era rebounding king as high as the 14th pick. Lately, however, those drafts have his ticket punched in the high teens to the early 20s. Despite workouts with six different teams, and plenty of feedback, Faried still isn’t sure where he’ll land.
“I really don’t know. I’m just happy to be considered one of the top draftees,” Faried said. “Where ever I go, I know I’m going to play my heart out.”
Faried, who played center at Morehead State, will most likely be a power forward in the NBA. He’s gotten positive feedback and he calls the experience great, having had the opportunity to play against some of the top players in the nation.
“They love my game, my heart and my rebounding, and they believe I can develop scoring and be an elite player,” Faried said. He noted how much the positive feedback has been for his passion for the game.
He also got the opportunity to meet several movers and shakers in the basketball world, but perhaps no one as well respected as Charlotte Bobcats Chairman Michael Jordan.
“It was nice to meet Jordan. It was an honor to meet him,” Faried said of the encounter, which was captured by an Associated Press photographer. “Anyone would be honored to meet the guy that everyone has tried to be like.”
On the flip side, Harper has quietly been impressing professional scouts, starting with an invitation to the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in April. From there Harper has worked out for 13 different NBA teams and echoed Faried’s sentiments about the experience.
“The experience is great. It’s a blessing to be able to compete against all the good players from different programs,” Harper said. "It’s good to showcase my talent -- to show the things I can do and what I can bring to the table.”
Harper noted as a versatile guard, he’s done a lot of shooting drills and participated in several one-on-one opportunities and has also gotten positive responses.
“In every workout they’ve said I’ve done pretty good and think I’ll have the opportunity to make it to the next level,” Harper said.
The Nashville, Tenn., native’s future may not be as clear as Faried’s but he also has several options, from the NBA to the NBA’s D-League to a wide range of leagues throughout Europe, where several former Eagles now play, including Harper and Faried’s former teammates Leon Buchanan and Brandon Shingles.
Despite their separate paths, Harper, who hit the 3-pointer heard ‘round the NCAA, and Faried, who had the ensuing block that sealed the Eagles’ upset of fourth-seeded Louisville, have stayed in close contact. The best friends, who spent most of the last two years training together, still talk every day.
“We encourage each other. We talk about our workouts. We talk about how we’ve been doing. How we’ve done against a certain player. We talk about everything. He’s my best friend, we’re really close,” Faried said. "We’re not going to stop being close because we graduated. We’re basically like brothers.”
And what if, by a twist of fate, the team that drafts Faried Thursday is also the team that brings Harper into camp and the gifted guard found a roster spot on the same club as his brother?
“It’d be great. It’d be the same thing as college all over again,” Harper said.
Considering the dynamic duo brought two titles to MSU and made three championship appearances, chances are their college experience all over again wouldn’t be a bad thing for an NBA team.
