Kostas Antetokounmpo tries to boost draft hopes at NBA Combine

Former Dayton Flyers forward Kostas Antetokounmpo, seeking to become the first UD player drafted since Negele Knight in 1990, worked out for NBA scouts Thursday on the first day of the NBA Combine in Chicago.

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Antetokounmpo, one of 69 players invited to the combine and the only one from the Atlantic 10 Conference, measured 6-foot-9 without shoes. He was the fifth-tallest player of the forwards. He was 6-10½ with shoes. His standing reach of 9-2 was the best of the forwards.

Here at the NBA Draft Combine, Kostas Antetokounmpo says he “had it in my mind” at the beginning of the 2017-18 season to enter the draft.
— Robbie Weinstein (@robsw4) May 17, 2018

The NBA released numerous other data points on each of the players. Antetokounmpo weighed 194.8 points. His wingspan was 7-2¼, which ranked 13th among the 69 players.

Antetokounmpo played 20 minutes in a game with other prospects Thursday. He had two points on 1-of-3 shooting, four rebounds and two blocks.

In an interview posted to NBA.com, Antetokounmpo said the NBA coaches “showed me film on myself and helped me see my mistakes and stuff I do good on the court.”

Asked what part of his game will translate to the NBA right now, Antetokounmpo said, “I feel my shot-blocking ability and the way I run the floor.”

In an interview on ESPN, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks star who's the older brother of Kostas, said he worked with Kostas in Phoenix this spring. Giannis is also at the combine.

» FORMER FLYERS: Three UD basketball alums teaming up again

One mock draft by ESPN had Kostas being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round with the 56th overall pick.

“He’s just got to work hard every day,” Giannis said. “When I was his age, I paid attention to detail. You can never be satisfied. You always have chapters in your life. This is a big chapter in his life. No matter what happens today, no matter what happens tomorrow or no matter what happens in the draft, he’s got to come out the better player. That’s the most important thing: be a better player every day. Kostas can be really good. He’s got to work on a lot of things. He’s got to work on his game. He can get a lot better. But with the right fit, the right team, he can do great things in the NBA.”

Antetokounmpo spent two years at the University of Dayton. He sat out his freshman season as a NCAA partial qualifier. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds and blocked 31 shots last season and then left the program and the school in March, telling coach Anthony Grant he wanted to pursue a professional career.