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SALT LAKE CITY — The past few weeks have been a cross-country whirlwind for former BYU star Kyle Collinsworth, with NBA pre-draft workouts in Toronto; Atlanta; Brooklyn, New York; Bradenton, Florida; Minneapolis; and his temporary home base of Las Vegas, among others.
The former Provo High standout is quick to point out how much he is enjoying the pre-draft process. But it’s nice to be home, too.
“It is good to be home,” the NCAA’s all-time leader with 12 career triple-doubles told reporters at the Zion’s Bank Basketball Center on Friday. “I’ve been in Toronto, so I flew in Wednesday night, and spent it with my sister and her family who live in Salt Lake. It was nice to be with them, and to hang out at home for a little bit.”
Collinsworth’s whirlwind schedule isn’t likely to stop until NBA draft night in 13 days. He’ll get on a flight for Eugene, Oregon, on Friday to spend the weekend with his wife Shea Martinez-Collinsworth as she attempts to win an NCAA 800-meter national championship Saturday. Then it’s off to Milwaukee for another pre-draft workout Tuesday, and stops in Dallas, San Antonio and Indiana before draft night.
Through it all, Collinsworth is trying not to look too far ahead and enjoy the moment he’s waited for his entire basketball-playing life.
Working out in front of Jazz personnel — even head coach Quin Snyder and general manager Dennis Lindsey were on hand Friday — was just another dream to add.
“I grew up here and grew up watching the Jazz, going to games with my dad,” Collinsworth said. “It’s cool to be here and to be able to work out for them now that I can participate in this.”
Collinsworth was known as a do-everything point guard during his BYU career. The Provo native averaged 15.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game as a senior, setting program records in assists and rebounds and finishing No. 11 in school history with 1,707 career points.
In his first steps as a professional, he’s taken to focusing on his shooting. Collinsworth has worked on his shot, especially from 3-point range, at every stop he’s visited thus far, and he went through the now-famous “Jazz 100” 3-point drill Friday.
“I think shooting is big; in the NBA, you have to be able to knock down spot-up shots, especially in the corner,” said Collinsworth, a career 47.7 percent shooter at BYU. “Shooting is a big thing that I am trying to show I can do — I didn’t do a lot of it in college. I was distributing, getting to the rebound and pull-up jumpers.”
His 6-foot-6 frame, passing and shooting ability will be key to landing on a roster, whether in Utah or elsewhere, though.
“Size helps, because he can look over smaller players. The ability to pass the ball helps,” Jazz vice president and director of player personnel Walt Perrin said. “He’s not overly long for as tall as he is; that won’t translate to the NBA.
“But he’s got to be able to knock down open shots. The ability to space the floor at our level will help more more than at the collegiate level.”
Collinsworth wasn’t the only local to get a look by the Jazz during Friday’s workout. Former Utah wing Dakari Tucker also visited the practice facility, and Oregon State’s Gary Payton II — who starred at Salt Lake Community College for two years — was also on hand.
I think that’s the important part about this process: to stay in the moment. You don’t know your future, so I’m trying to take care of business every day and get better where I need to. If I go out there, then it will take care of itself.
–former BYU guard Kyle Collinsworth
But the prize on the day was Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine. The 2016 Associated Press Player of the Year and consensus All-American could land to the Jazz with the No. 12 overall pick, and Friday’s workout proves there is at least some interest in bringing him to Utah.
“Just at the guard position, 1-2-3, I know they have Exum at the point and I could take turns or play off-guard,” said Valentine, who only has four workouts scheduled with NBA teams. “I’m just another off-guard with experience who can defend and play the pick-and-roll.”
The Salt Lake Community College staff was also present at the workout to cheer on a few of its former players. Bruin head coach Todd Phillips coached Collinsworth’s AAU team Utah Pump ‘N Run, in addition to being Payton’s coach during a JUCO All-American career at SLCC.
“It was good. I saw some faces I haven’t seen in awhile,” said Payton with a grin. “The altitude didn’t get to me; I’m used to that. It was fun working out with these guys, and we had a good group. Everybody competed.”
As for Collinsworth, where he ends up is anyone’s guess. He could find a spot on an NBA roster as a late draft pick or through free agency and the summer league. Or he could opt for Europe with increasingly lucrative deals in Russia and so forth (learning the language from his two-year mission for the LDS Church is a plus, too).
For now, he’s just enjoying the ride of being a professional basketball player — something he has dreamed of doing since a season-ending knee injury in 2014.
“I think that’s the important part about this process: to stay in the moment,” Collinsworth said. “You don’t know your future, so I’m trying to take care of business every day and get better where I need to.
“If I go out there, then it will take care of itself.”
