Listen Live
Hot 100.9 Featured Video
CLOSE

He wasn’t in a rush to leave Baylor.

That’s why Udoh didn’t mind sitting out one season after transferring from Michigan after his sophomore season.

“I really wanted to give myself a year away so I could study the game even more,” Udoh said Tuesday after working out for the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. “I wanted to play in the right system and also be closer to home. Baylor chose me and I just worked hard in the offseason and it’s paid off.”

Udoh was the highest-rated player in Tuesday’s workout. Some mock drafts have the Pacers selecting him with the No. 10 pick in the June 24 draft. He showed glimpses Tuesday against front-court players Derrick Caracter (Texas-El Paso), Daniel Orton (Kentucky) and Hassan Whiteside (Marshall), and guards Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati) and Chris Kramer (Purdue).

Whiteside led the nation in blocks at 5.7. Udoh was fifth at 3.7. Orton, a freshman, got scarce minutes at Kentucky but is viewed as a potential impact center in the NBA.

Not surprisingly, defense dominated the day. All three challenged shots in the paint, and all three had plenty of blocks.

“I’m a defensive guy that plays hard,” Udoh said. “Just play hard. Everybody has game on this level. I just play hard and keep my motor always going.”

Udoh (his name is pronounced EPP-ay YOU-doe) shot up the draft charts after averaging 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior while helping lead the Bears to the Elite Eight of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The 6-10, 240-pound power forward said Baylor’s run improved his stock. Udoh had two double-doubles and at least 10 rebounds in three of the four tournament games. He had 18 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five blocks in Baylor’s loss to Duke. The blocks, assists and rebounds were game highs.

“It let a lot of people see what was going on in Waco, Texas,” he said. “What we did was seize the moment on that stage. Playing well on that stage was a plus, too.”

Power forward is a position in flux for the Pacers.

Troy Murphy has averaged a double-double each of the past two seasons and is a contributor in coach Jim O’Brien’s perimeter offense. But the Pacers expect to dangle his expiring contract as trade bait this summer. The verdict is still out on Tyler Hansbrough, whose rookie season was limited to 29 games because of an inner ear infection. Josh McRoberts has had a difficult time winning O’Brien’s complete trust.

The Pacers have to get more

athletic and add players who care more about defending than scoring. 

(2 of 2)

 That’s where Udoh could fit in. 

That’s showing them: Ekpe Udoh makes a move as Hassan Whiteside defends Tuesday during a workout for the Indiana Pacers. – Matt Kryger / The Star

 

 He classified himself as being a “terror” on defense but wants to prove he’s capable on the other end, too. 

 He said he has spent a lot of time working on his ball handling to go with his midrange game. Udoh scored 20 or more points six times last season.

“We knew he was a great defender,” Baylor coach Scott Drew told reporters last season. “We’ve been pleasantly surprised with how good he is offensively.”

Kramer plays on

Kramer, who averaged 6.5 points and 3.0 rebounds at Purdue, knows he is a long shot to be drafted.

The defensive specialist said he has already talked to his agent about playing overseas if he doesn’t make an NBA roster.

“You have to chase plan ‘A’ and plan ‘B’ equally as hard,” Kramer said. “Plan ‘B’: going overseas and playing over there.”

Guards today

The point guards take center stage today. Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky), Avery Bradley (Texas), Sherron Collins (Kansas), Jordan Crawford (Xavier), A.J. Slaughter (Western Kentucky) and Willie Warren (Oklahoma) are scheduled to work out at the fieldhouse. Bledsoe and Bradley are considered first-round picks.