J.J. Hickson Profile
You entered your name in the draft pretty early. Were you committed to staying in the draft all along or was there some in-decision there?
I wasn't really committed. I just wanted to test the waters, and so far I feel personally I've been having good workouts. I feel like I've been having good workouts so I want to keep my name in.
What agent have you signed with and when did you sign with him?
(ASM Sports) Andy Miller. I'm signing with him tomorrow.
What has been some of the feedback you've received from the scouts?
Basically they've told me I have good potential, a good mindset, and I'm willing to learn and I'm very coachable. They told me I have a great NBA body.
Anything specifically they say you needed to work on?
Not really, I'd probably say working on the mechanics of my jumpshot and extending my range.
Did coach Lowe go with you to workouts? How much did he help you with the process.
No, not really. He just helped me as far as telling me to stay focused and keep my head up. If I'm having a bad workout just get through it and keep playing hard.
Did he do a lot of calling around to NBA sources?
I don't know.
Can you talk about some of the things you can take from your one year at State?
As far as on the court stuff, just knowing where to be on the floor. Coach Lowe did coach in the league so I think most of the sets that he ran were league sets. I kind of already got an introduction to a type of league offense... just basically knowing where to be on the court.
When did you actually decide to stay in the draft?
It's been real recent. I'd say probably this last week. Like I said, I feel like I've been having good workouts, good enough for me to keep my name in.
What are you hearing regarding your draft position? Are you hearing lottery, top 20, first round?
I'm not hearing anything. Like I said, it's just me personally, I feel like I've been having good workouts.
What went into the decision to not participate in the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp?
Nothing really, I just felt like it would be better if I didn't go. I thought the situation would have been better for me to work out for teams and not go to Orlando.
Anything you didn't expect from the process?
Not really, there's a lot of traveling, but I'll travel during the season so nothing really out of the ordinary.
Any one particular workout you remember as a breakthrough-type workout?
Not really. I played hard in every last one of them, and I feel like I had a good showing in all of them. I feel I was pretty consistent.
It's a very exciting time for you. What do you hope this means for you and your family?
It means a lot to me. My grandmother is proud of me, and she's full of joy right now.
What are some of the things you've been doing in the workouts?
It's been a lot of individual things. A lot of spotup shooting, going through drills... towards the end of the workouts there's some one-on-one, two-on-two, and three-on-three.
Who are the teams you worked out for?
Seattle, Portland, Denver, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Toronto.
Of those teams, is there one that's the best fit for you?
I wouldn't say there is a best fit. I feel like I'd fit in good wherever I go. I feel like I'm going to have a positive influence on a team. I'm not going to bring any negative influence to them.
A lot of Atlanta players are talking about how much they've watched you. Can you tell a lot of players are considering NC State because of what you went through?
I really don't know to tell you the truth. I feel like we had an okay, good first part of the year, and I feel like we kind of dropped off towards the end. It's up to the player whether he wants to go to NC State or not.