Jazz draftee meets Utah

And coach Jerry Sloan wasn't even standing over him.

He's admittedly "low-key," even to the point he said if the Jazz send him to Orem of the NBDL, "I can't say it would be a disappointment. They know what they're doing here. They're the professionals. I'm the amateur making the jump, so just whatever they ask me to do."

But he has the backbone of a true marksman, too. "I'm confident in my abilities. Wherever I end up, it will all work out for the best eventually."

Almond has admired the Jazz. "Just the way they play, on and off the floor," he said. "Sound fundamentals. Not a lot of one-on-one, not a lot of off-the-court, extracurricular — you know, you don't hear about that in Utah. That's probably the biggest thing. They value just what's good and pure about the game, and I've always noticed that watching them as a kid, and I try to pattern myself after that."

He attended the Jazz playoff games in Houston and not necessarily to root for the Rockets. "I'm not from Houston, I just went to school down there," he said.

He looks forward to playing with Deron Williams and says he'll do whatever Williams wants. He anticipates those open shots Williams and other Jazzmen can create for a wing man who will wear No. 22 because he was born on the second day of the second month but doesn't have any real attachment to the number.

"I was never a guy that had to dominate the ball," he said, though he was the NCAA's No. 3 scorer at 26.4 points a game and was Conference-USA Player of the Year. "I like to say I play within the offense.

"Here, I think I'll flourish even more playing off established players, for players like Carlos Boozer — I'll take that any day."

As much as the jump shot and personality appeal, O'Connor was perhaps even more impressed that Almond twice in college made tough but proper decisions. Almond's first two years were not noteworthy; he averaged 4.8 and 7.2 points. He made himself better instead of going elsewhere. His decision last year to return to Rice after pondering early entry in the NBA Draft was also a good one to O'Connor, who takes those choices to mean that when things get tough, Almond makes the right decisions.

Almond said O'Connor's straight talk to him last year influenced him. O'Connor told him to ask teams looking at him if they'd use their first-round pick on him. None would, including the Jazz, who were willing to use one of their two 2006 second-rounders on him. He went back to be a senior. Both choices bettered him. However, he didn't ask O'Connor this year if the Jazz would use No. 25 on him. "I didn't say it out front — I'm not that bold yet," he said, laughing.

"I try to live right and hope good things happen."

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E-mail: almond@desnews.com