In all likelihood, Tyler Bey will finally get to see where his NBA career will begin, as the 6-foot-7 forward from Las Vegas gears up for Draft night.
Since he announced that he would forego his senior season at CU and enter the NBA Draft at the end of March, Bey had been projected as a second-rounder.
However, now it seems fair to consider the possibility of sneaking late into the first round, especially after raising some eyebrows with a 43.5-inch vertical jump at the NBA Draft combine, which was the second-best such jump recorded this year.
Tad Boyle, who has seen five of his former players selected on Draft night, knows all too well the nervousness that can come for a player waiting to be picked.
Especially as the first round goes on and your name isn't called, one can only assume it can be agonizing in terms of anticipation.
Regardless, Boyle's confident tonight will be one to remember for the greater Bey clan.
“It’s a big night for Tyler and his family," Boyle said. "It’s a big night for our program because anytime our guys are in the discussion of being drafted is exciting. It’s a little bit nerve wracking because you don’t know — you’re hoping (he’s selected in) the late first round but if that doesn’t come, that’s when it becomes a little frayed nerves, if you will."
First round, second round — whatever happens — Boyle and Bey's former teammates look forward to watching the action tonight.
"I’ll be dialed in and I know our players here will be dialed in because obviously a lot of them played with Tyler over the last few years, so we’re hoping for the best," Boyle said. "Whatever team does get Tyler is going to get a guy that works extremely hard. His athleticism speaks for itself given that he set an NBA Combine record for the vertical jump."
"So, that’s exciting — they’re going to get a great athlete who works hard, who’s a terrific defender and who has great, great upside.”
As his Colorado career came to an end, Bey solidified himself within the Buffs' program leaderboards.
His 31 double-doubles rank ninth in team history, while his 800 career rebounds is eighth. Similarly, with 1,113 points and his 800 boards, Bey leaves CU as just one of seven players to score 1,000-plus points and notch at least 800 rebounds.
Junior forward Evan Battey, who have known each other for years before they became commits in CU's Class of 2017, is beyond excited to see where Bey lands.
“To have any of my teammates go to the league is an accomplishment for me," he said. "It’s a proud moment. I’ve been playing with Tyler since I was 15 years old. It’s funny to watch him grow and to watch him really shift into a pro in all aspects of the game, from mindset, mentality to toughness. I honestly can’t put into words how proud I am of him.”
Boyle said that in the last few weeks, he's been in contact with four NBA teams who have expressed significant interest in Bey.
After lending as much support to Bey in the pre-Draft process as possible, for Boyle and Colorado's players, it's time so sit back, turn on the TV and see what happens.
"I know our players, McKinley (Wright IV) and Evan and all those guys, are all in touch with (Bey)on a regular basis," Boyle said. "My contact is probably once or twice a month, checking in to see how he’s doing. He’s in good spirits — he’s very excited, he’s very hopeful and we all are. It’s going to be a fun night."
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