Devin Ebanks may have spent the past two years in West Virginia, but he always has been a New Yorker. And he sees tomorrow’s NBA Draft at the Garden as a dream come true.
“It’s very exciting. My family and friends will see me get drafted,” said Ebanks, the 6-foot-9 WVU forward who was born and raised in Long Island City. “Especially being from New York. Playing basketball in New York is a big thing; everyone knows that. It’s definitely gonna be special for me.”
As a sophomore, Ebanks helped lead the Mountaineers (31-7) to their first Big East Tournament title and helped get them to the Final Four, where they were defeated in the semifinals by Duke, 78-57.
Ebanks, projected by some experts to go late in the first round at the earliest, was third on the team in scoring with 12 points per game and first in rebounds per game (8.1). With 36 steals and 23 blocks, he was WVU’s best defender.
Ebanks has worked out for a dozen teams, including the Grizzlies and Magic, but neither the Knicks nor Nets. So while he would love to play in his hometown, it doesn’t appear likely.
“I just worked out for Orlando [Monday]. The workouts have been going pretty well for me,” he said. “I do feel that my athleticism and defensive mindset will be a gain to any team that picks me.”
Even with two years of college eligibility left, Ebanks said it was the right time to go pro.
“We did pretty well in the Big East and NCAA Tournament,” he said. “And it gave me momentum to go into these workouts.”
Ebanks said he has put in the work and will now leave his fate to NBA general managers.
“I’ve worked out for almost half the teams in the league,” he said. “A lot of people got to see me, so we’ll see what happens [tomorrow].”