And this is why the NCAA rule starting next year that mandates that underclassmen only have until May 8 or so to decide whether they are staying in the NBA Draft or not is all about the coaches and programs, and have nothing to do with the players.

Most NBA teams just are not bringing in the kids for workouts until the first week or so of May. Add in that for underclassmen to keep their eligibility they can’t just take off for workouts in April when classes are still going — it’s one thing to be excused for a basketball game or tournament but no excuses allowed when it is an NBA workout.

Sorry, getting off-topic before even starting. The intent was to get to the circumstances of Sam Young getting injured in his very first NBA team workout.

“It will be OK,” Young said Wednesday. “It’s not going to affect anything, not even a little bit.”

Young, who is preparing for the June 25 NBA Draft, required a brief visit to a Toronto hospital but is expected to return to workouts later this week.

He was hurt while being tested for his vertical leap. He twisted his body as he leapt, and a screw on the vertical-leap pole pierced his arm. Rather than risk tearing any muscle, the Raptors personnel removed the screw from the pole, left it in Young’s arm and took him to the hospital to have it dislodged.

“They didn’t want to rip the screw out of his arm,” said Young’s agent, Lance Young (no relation). “They said to make sure he takes his antibiotics for infection.”

Lance Young said the injury didn’t require any stitches and currently is protected by a small butterfly bandage and medical tape. Young was told to avoid overexerting the arm for about a week.

Young was cool about it but another player there for a workout was less so.

“I didn’t know what to expect and the first thing that happened is a guy got his arm stuck in the thing (measuring device),” Pendergraph said. “I thought, ‘this is going to be a long one.'”

Coach Dixon is also encouraged about any opportunity for Levance Fields.

A lot of people say it’s almost better not to be drafted than to go in the second round. Then you can pick your team and see who has a need,” Dixon, the Naismith National Coach of the Year, said Wednesday.

Keith Glass, Fields’ agent, said several teams, including the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls, have expressed interest in having Fields join their summer league teams if he is not drafted.

“There’s been a lot of interest,” Dixon said. “A lot of maneuvering to figure out which teams he’s going to be with, what days, when they’re bringing in guards.”
…
“We want to get him in the best shape that he’s been in,” Glass said. “He’s not been able to be in great shape because of the injuries. Every team in the league loves the way he plays, but their concern has always been his conditioning and the shape that he’s been in.”

“He’s been hurt the last couple of years,” Dixon said. “If he’s not injured, I think he shoots a higher percentage.”

Dixon believes that if Fields can drop some weight and get a little quicker, he could contribute to an NBA franchise. If not, he mentioned that several of his former players — Ronald Ramon, Antonio Graves, Levon Kendall and others — were making a healthy living overseas.

Realistically, Fields is heading for Europe or Israel. Still, at least he is getting enough interest from teams to get a look — or be fodder for the draft prospects.

Coach Dixon was in NYC for a coaching clinic (I guess) which explains this seemingly random tweet. Adam Zagoria has a slew of stuff from Coach Dixon. Ranging from the confirmation of Pitt now being Nike, to the NJ guards expected to be a big factor next year, to Isiah Epps prepping somewhere, the Big East being open for other teams this coming year, holding the open scholarship for someone else for the 2010 recruiting class, to his lack of interest in Arizona.

Dixon said people shouldn’t be surprised that he stayed at Pitt instead of taking the Arizona job, which ultimately went to Sean Miller.

“I think only the people that don’t know our university and don’t understand what we have there [were surprised],” he said. “We have a great place and there’s a sense of loyalty to the kids and the school on my part.”

He added: “Sean’s going to do a really good job there.”

Given Tim Floyd’s days suddenly look numbered, hopefully he means it.