One day before the NBA draft, former Indiana University standout Cody Zeller still had no sense where he will end up.
"I have no clue," Zeller said on the "Dan Patrick Show" today.
Zeller's draft status has fluctuated since he decided to return to IU for his sophomore season. He was originally projected as high as No. 1 overall but has slipped according to mock drafts heading into Thursday's draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Former IU teammate Victor Oladipo is also expected to go high in the first round.
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"This year more than ever, no one really knows what is going to happen at the top," Zeller told Patrick. "Obviously, no one knows what is going to happen from there."
The 7-foot Zeller might have challenged eventual top overall pick Anthony Davis for the No. 1 spot last year if he had left IU after his freshman season. He returned and had a solid sophomore season, but not the dominating one scouts were looking for, in part because of Oladipo's improvem ent.
But Zeller had an extended two-day visit earlier this week with the Orlando Magic, who have the No. 2 pick. That fueled speculation they would select Zeller, a move that would undoubtedly shake up the draft. The Charlotte Bobcats, with the No. 4 pick, also are viewed as a possibility.
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, who will be part of the network's draft coverage, said he thinks the vast improvement by Oladipo this past season hurt the perception of Zeller as a future pro.
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"I find it fascinating we can say in one breath that Nerlens Noel can't score but can improve offensively," Bilas said in reference to the Kentucky center who might be the No. 1 overall pick. "But in the next breath, we say Cody Zeller took just two 3-point shots in college, he can't shoot and he won't get any better offensively.
"The guy is a crazy good athlete. He was the best player on his team for two years, Victor O ladipo included."
Bilas said he would have no problem with a team like Orlando selecting Zeller that high.
"He is going to be a good NBA player," Bilas said. "He's the best of the Zeller trio (of brothers). I think he can shoot. I think he'll prove that. I think he's a hard worker and he plays with a chip on his shoulder."
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Orlando has also been seen as a possible destination for the 6-4 Oladipo, the Sporting News National Player of the Year. Most mock drafts have him falling no further than to Phoenix with the fifth pick, a viewpoint Bilas agrees with.
There have been reports that some NBA scouts and officials are concerned that after Oladipo's rapid improvement last season, he has little room for further improvement. Bilas said that is a legitimate concern "if you're trying to project if he is going to be an NBA superstar," but added that Oladipo's game is good enough to help a team immediately.
"I don't buy this theory when you're 22 or 23, you hit your ceiling," Bilas said. "Tim Duncan was 22 or 23 when he got selected and he got a lot better."
However, Bilas doesn't agree with projections that Oladipo could be the next Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat.
"He is not going to be Dwyane Wade. ... For a time, Dwyane Wade was the best player in the world," he said.
Oladipo has kept a lower profile than Zeller in the lead-up to the draft but said in an interview with ESPN that "I haven't scratched the surface as to how good of a basketball player I can be."
Zeller said he visited and worked out for 10 teams. Patrick asked him the strangest question he received.
"We were in a room maybe the size of a hotel room and (a psychologist) asked how many basketballs would fit in this room and he wanted to know my thought process behind it," he said.
Pointer writes for the Indianapolis Star, a Gannett property.< /i>
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