Hempstead's Holloway impresses NBA scouts

Xavier point guard Tu Holloway of Hempstead had one pre-draft workout Saturday at the Nets' training center to convince NBA scouts he's ready for the draft after earning player of the year honors in the Atlantic-10 Conference as a junior. As the only one of 22 competing players who measured under 6-feet tall, that was no easy task.

Although listed at an even 6-feet on Xavier's roster, Holloway was measured at 5-10 without shoes at the camp. Despite his lack of size, Holloway left a favorable impression while performing before scouts from 29 of the 30 NBA teams.

One Eastern Conference personnel expert said, "He played well enough to put himself on the list of best players in this camp. A guy who can play, can play. He did a lot of nice things on the floor."

Another Eastern Conference coach said of Holloway, "The kid is a competitor. That's the one thing you notice. That goes a long way."

Shortly after the workout ended, Holloway was asked to interview with the contingent of coaches and talent evaluators from Golden State. He must decide by midnight Sunday night whether to stay in the draft or take his name out and return to Xavier for his senior year.

None of the players who worked out and another group scheduled to work Sunday is considered a sure first-round pick, and some not even a second-rounder. At the moment, Holloway is rated No. 79 by independent Draftexpress.com, but he could play himself into the second round or even higher.

Although Holloway might benefit from another college season, he's not going to grow any taller and he's coming off a season in which he averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Describing the decision he faces, Holloway said, "One minute I feel like I definitely could do it. Another minute, I feel like maybe I need to go back to school. I'm just putting my foot in the water. I didn't jump in the pool."

He felt good about his play in a scrimmage that was closed to media, and the comments of the NBA personnel who saw him supported Holloway's assessment. "I felt like I played pretty well," he said. "I was sharing the ball, defending, rebounding. I did everything I did throughout the year. I was being myself out there."

But in a league where some point guards are would tower over Holloway by six to eight inches, the size question haunts him. "I was a rebounding guard," Holloway said of his junior season. "I averaged five rebounds a game. Maybe two or three other guys in the country averaged 20-5-5 . I have a 6-5 wingspan, and I have 10-inch hands. And I have toughness. You can't teach that."

Some view Holloway as more of a shooting guard because of his scoring output last season, but he said he was a pure point guard his first two years at Xavier and simply stepped up his scoring because that's what the Musketeers needed from him.

"I know I'm a first-round talent whether I get picked this year or next year," Holloway said. "I'm not really worried. I just want to get into the NBA."