NBA DRAFT
Colorado selects UH alum Sensley in NBDL draft
A last-minute decision led to Julian Sensley's latest move in an already-lengthy post-college journey.
The former Kalaheo and University of Hawaii forward was selected in the fourth round of the NBA Development League's draft yesterday by the Colorado 14ers.
"I just decided to play in the D-league three days ago and I turned in my stuff late so to go where I went is kind of surprising. I thought I'd go in one of the last rounds," Sensley said last night from his home. "It's just a matter of when I get there how I perform. It's good to have a job."
Former BYU-Hawaii guard Yuta Tabuse was taken by the Bakersfield Jam in the third round. Tabuse played with the NBDL's Albuquerque Thunderbirds last season.
Sensley followed the draft on the Internet and said the plan is to report to Colorado by Nov. 11, with training camp opening two days later.
The 14ers are affiliated with the NBA's Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors.
Since ending a three-year UH career in March, Sensley has had stints with the Golden State Warriors' summer league team, the German National Team and a professional team in Italy.
With making the NBA still his ultimate goal, Sensley said playing in the U.S. puts him in a better position to catch the attention of scouts.
"In Europe it's easy to get lost in the shuffle," he said. "The D-League is closer to the NBA, you're closely watched every day and I figured it's an opportunity to show people what I can do.
"If I have to go over to Europe and make some money and finish out my career in Europe, I don't mind doing that," he said. "But I feel like I have to give this a shot."
Carl English, a former Hawaii guard, played two seasons in the NBDL and played professionally with a team in Italy last season.
Sensley's basketball pursuits have taken him across the globe over the summer and into the fall, giving him a chance to see the world.
"Going to different parts of the world, seeing different styles of basketball is an experience in itself," he said. "I got to go to places like China, Spain, Germany, Italy. That alone -- even if you weren't a basketball player -- would have been a heck of an experience."
Getting started: This year's Rainbow Warriors make their debut tomorrow in an exhibition game against UH-Hilo at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The UH women's team plays Hawaii Pacific at 4 p.m. The men's game tips off at 7.