JUNE 28 – The days leading up to today should have been a time for Demetris Nichols to rest and recharge. He’s earned it.

On Sunday, Nichols wrapped up a whirlwind month of workouts during which the former SU standout visit eleven different cities and teams. The Nichols nationwide tour ended in Dallas, where Nichols worked out for the Mavericks.

And yet despite the exhaustion, rest has been hard to come by lately for Nichols.

‘Yeah, I’m feeling pretty nervous,’ Nichols said. ‘The last few days I haven’t been sleeping well.’

There will be plenty of time to sleep after tonight, when the future of Nichols and two of his Syracuse teammates, center Darryl Watkins and forward Terrence Roberts, will be determined at the 2007 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden (ESPN, 7 p.m.). All three players will sit glued to the telecast, remote controls set aside, hoping that their name is one of the 60 called.

But of the three, it is undoubtedly Nichols who has the best chance to be drafted. The small forward averaged 18.8 points a game last season, best in the Big East, but truly solidified his status a month ago at the NBA’s pre-draft camp held in Orlando. Nichols attended the three-day camp along with Watkins and 62 other NBA hopefuls.

Nichols’ draft stock skyrocketed when the Boston native shot 15-for-23 from the field and, more importantly, 9-for-13 from 3-point range. Overall for the three-day event, Nichols averaged 13.7 points per game, among the best at the camp.

‘I was just ready to play,’ Nichols said. ‘I just felt like I was the best player on the floor at all times. I had good shots and I wasn’t afraid to take any shots. I wanted to show what I do best, so all the doubters could reevaluate me and stuff like that. I just wanted to go put on a show, and I did.’

As a result of that ‘show,’ Nichols has gone from a second-round floater who could end up being drafted almost anywhere in the draft’s latter half – or not at all – to an almost certainty to be picked Thursday night.

Still there is a natural ambiguity for Nichols, who must cope for the first time with not having control over where his basketball career will take him.

‘I have no idea,’ Nichols said regarding where he might eventually land. ‘I’ve heard 30, top 25, top 35. So we’ll see where I go. But I’m just waiting for Thursday. So just pray and hope for the best and see what happens.’

The first round might be a slightly optimistic expectation for Nichols. Depending on which mock draft you choose to believe, Nichols could end up anywhere from mid-to-early second round.

A projection on SportsIllustrated.com has Nichols going 34th to Dallas, and Watkins being taken with the 58th selection by San Antonio. A mock draft by the Web site NBADraft.net has Nichols going 45th to the Los Angeles Clippers (one of the teams Nichols did not visit), and Watkins not being taken at all.

There’s little doubt Nichols, who is listed at 6-foot-8 but measured closer to 6-foot-6 in Orlando, embarked on his 11-team tour because of the uncertainty of where he’ll land.

Nichols’ objective in the workouts was to show he can be a complete player.

‘(Coaches) know I can shoot,’ Nichols said. ‘They thought I couldn’t play defense, but I think they know now that I’m a solid defender. So they all say they like me and we’ll see what happens on Thursday.’

While questions about his defense will certainly linger, inquiries about his jump shot were answered in Orlando. Nichols knew it was his jump shot that would make or break his draft status, and the 2006 first-team Big East selection prepared accordingly. Nichols said he participated in daily workouts in Syracuse and later New York City to improve his quickness and overall endurance for the pre-draft camp.

When it came to expanding his shot to fit the NBA, all that was left for Nichols was the fine-tuning.

‘I’ve been doing that since my junior year, so I’ve always been two steps ahead,’ Nichols said about adjusting his shot to the NBA 3-point range. ‘I think I did a pretty good job preparing for the NBA pre-draft camp. I’ve been shooting everyday. Once the season was over, I was working out every morning.’

Still it is concerns over his defense and ball-handling abilities that will likely destine Nichols for the second-round.

It is decidedly the opposite for Watkins, whose defense and size translate well to the NBA, but whose offense may cause many teams to pass on him. At the pre-draft camp, Watkins didn’t hurt his status but likely didn’t enhance it too much either. He averaged 5.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in the Orlando.

If Watkins is taken at all it will likely be late in the second round.

The prospects are even dimmer for the third member of last year’s SU frontcourt. Roberts, who, like Nichols is represented by BDA Sports, is a long shot to be drafted.

Meanwhile, Nichols future looks slightly brighter and equally uncertain. Nichols, who will be watching the draft with a large group of family of friends, said he’s ‘willing to play anywhere,’ but, like all players, he has a wish list.

When asked about where on his odyssey he felt most at home, Nichols mentioned the Spurs, which hold the 33rd pick, and Sonics, which have the 35th choice, as places he felt comfortable.

But it was apparent Nichols also had a soft spot for the New York Knicks, which currently hold the 22nd pick.

Said Nichols: ‘It felt pretty good playing in the Garden.’

Published on June 29, 2007 at 12:00 pm