WALTHAM, Mass. — Six more NBA draft prospects visited the Boston Celtics’ practice facility Wednesday, including one who hails from just down the road.
Notre Dame guard Pat Connaughton, an Arlington, Mass., native and graduate of St. John’s Prep, is projected as a second-round pick after choosing hoops over a baseball career. (He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2014.)
Connaughton wowed scouts with his athleticism at last month’s NBA draft combine and was a key contributor on a Fighting Irish team that advanced to the Elite Eight.
Co-headlining Wednesday’s workout was Kentucky center Dakari Johnson, who also is pegged as a second-rounder after departing Lexington after his sophomore season. Johnson was an afterthought in a Wildcats frontcourt that featured Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Trey Lyles but he has great size (7-foot, 265 pounds) and showed solid down-low scoring and offensive rebounding abilities during his limited college minutes.
Rounding out the session were Italian wing Simone Fontecchio, Villanova wing Darrun Hilliard (No. 71 on DraftExpress’ Top 100 Prospects list), Baylor forward Royce O’Neale and Xavier big man Matt Stainbrook, one of the cult hero’s of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Thumbnail photo via Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports Images
