Lojeski hopes for call from NBA
Matt Lojeski's hectic week spent traveling to workouts with NBA teams might not translate into a call during the league's draft tomorrow. But it still wouldn't have been a fruitless endeavor.
"It gave me a good idea of where I am compared to some of the players up there and what I have to work on," the former Hawaii guard said yesterday. "Overall it was a great experience."
Lojeski, the Rainbow Warriors' leading scorer last season, participated in a pre-draft workout with the Utah Jazz on June 18, flew home to Racine, Wis., to work with the Milwaukee Bucks over the next two days, and was in Oakland last Friday for a session with the Golden State Warriors.
Though he left the workouts feeling positive about his performances and will watch the draft from his Racine home, he's not getting his hopes too high.
"I'm not expecting much, but you never know," he said. "I'm hoping it happens, but I'm not going to be down if it doesn't."
Lojeski, a second-team All-Western Athletic Conference selection, led the Rainbows with 16.9 points and 4.5 assists per game and was second in rebounds with 5.7.
He shot 54.1 percent from the field in a senior season highlighted by a 35-point performance against Boise State in UH's home finale. He often drew the defensive assignment on the opponent's top scorer.
He played with Florida's Corey Brewer and Purdue's Carl Landry in Milwaukee. The Utah workout included UCLA's Arron Afflalo and Fresno State's Quinton Hosley.
Even if the call doesn't come tomorrow, the 6-foot-6 Lojeski has already signed a contract with Okapi Aalstar, a professional club team in Belgium. The deal includes a clause that allows him out of the contract should he hook on with an NBA team either through the draft or as a free agent.
"We got an opportunity that my family and my agent thought we shouldn't pass up," Lojeski said. "I look at it as I'm going to a job interview and I already have a job. It takes some of the pressure off."