Utah Jazz notebook: Former USU star Jared Quayle hopes exposure helps

SALT LAKE CITY — Earning a roster spot on an NBA team would be an awesome accomplishment for Jared Quayle.

The former Box Elder High and Utah State standout would especially be thrilled to join the Utah Jazz.

"It feels nice," Quayle said of wearing Jazz gear following his Wednesday morning workout for Utah brass. "It'd be nice if I could keep it on for another 10 years."

That, however, isn't the primary goal right now for the 25-year-old point guard. Quayle's sights are set high, but he'd be ecstatic to work his way onto the roster of an NBA squad even if it's only for July.

"Playing on a summer league team would be huge," Quayle said. "Just (to) get a lot more exposure."

Wednesday's workout with the Jazz was Quayle's first, though he's hoping to set up a couple more with NBA teams before the June 24 draft. Realistically, he realizes workouts and possible summer-league participation would mostly help his professional cause elsewhere.

The 6-foot-1 playmaker, who ranks as one of USU's all-time great 3-point and free-throw shooters, wants to get as much "exposure from European teams" as possible.

"That's most likely my route right now is just going overseas," Quayle admitted. "Try to go over there and develop a little bit more and hopefully come back here and play in the NBA someday."

Quayle, who isn't projected to be drafted into the NBA, trains daily with former USU star Gary Wilkinson, another former Aggie who spent time in the summer with the Jazz. Jaycee Carroll and Spencer Nelson have also participated with the Jazz in offseason workouts — something the NBA franchise often does with local college standouts.

To Quayle's credit, he impressed the Jazz's chief scout, Walt Perrin.

"We felt he deserved to be brought in," the Jazz's vice president of player personnel said, "because he's had a great career at Utah State and he performed very well there."

Added Perrin: "I was impressed with how quick and how fast he was, how tough he is."

Quayle felt like he held his own against the other five workout invitees, a group that included California guard Jerome Randle, Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson, Georgia Tech forward Gani Lawal, VCU forward Larry Sanders and forward Ryan Richards of England.

"Honestly," he said, "I feel like I could play with them. … I feel like I competed today and I did pretty well."

Quayle said his experience opened his eyes a bit on things he needs to improve on, including ballhandling, shooting and defense.

"It was a great opportunity to play in front of coach (Jerry) Sloan and all of the other coaches that were here," he said. "(And) to play with all of these other guys."

BIG BATCH: Draft junkies and curious Jazz fans would probably love to be flies on the wall today at Zions Bank Basketball Center. Utah will privately work out a group of top prospects, including a handful of players projected to be taken in the first round.

The six participants include several big guys linked with the Jazz's No. 9 pick by national experts, including Kansas' Cole Aldrich, Baylor's Ekpe Udoh, Marshall's Hassan Whiteside and Iowa State's Craig Brackins.

Two well-known guards also will work out for Utah — Texas' Avery Bradley and Duke's Jon Scheyer.

COVERING THEIR BASES: None of the six players the Jazz worked out Wednesday is projected to go high. To wit, ESPN's Chad Ford only projects Patterson (No. 22) and Sanders (No. 28) as first-rounders.

But Perrin suggests that doesn't mean much. Evaluating these players doesn't necessarily mean the team is looking to trade away its No. 9 pick or that it's trying to move up from its second-round spot of No. 55.

"We're looking, just in case something may happen, at a lot of different players," Perrin said. "That's not staying we're going to move down. That's not saying we're trading or anything. Just in case."

HE SAID IT: Perrin knows the draft is getting close simply by the rhetoric he's hearing, even from agents hoping to get their guys picked up late in the second round.

"I get the same thing every year," Perrin said. "I get agents telling me that they've got the next Michael Jordan."

Even, Perrin laughed when asked, "at 55."

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