Utah Jazz: Free draft party open to fans Thursday

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz fans will once again have a chance to cheer — or boo — their team's draft selections in person.

Per tradition, the Jazz will hold their annual free draft party this Thursday night at EnergySolutions Arena.

Doors will open for the event at 4:30 p.m., and the draft will be broadcast from The Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., live in the arena.

In years past, the Jazz have made their draft announcement to the attending crowd before picks are officially announced by commissioner David Stern.

Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor received Bronx cheers by a number of fans last June when he told the crowd the team would be picking Butler's Gordon Hayward ninth overall — a booing he has since referred back to on several occasions.

Other festivities will include: autograph-signing by Jazz forward Jeremy Evans; draft T-shirts for the first 1,000 fans in attendance; a draft guide to all attendees; raffles for prizes including Salt Lake Bees tickets and suites; Jazz VIP tickets; game-worn warm-ups; autographed merchandise; and tours of the renovated Jazz locker room.

Fans can also get pictures taken with Bear and the Jazz Dancers, who will perform.

The party will last throughout the broadcast of the first round.

Utah only has the Nos. 3 and 12 picks, having traded its second-round pick to Chicago last summer.

Jimmer invited to the green room

Jimmer Fredette will be among the players sweating it out in the "green room" at the Prudential Center during the 2011 NBA Draft this Thursday.

The BYU star point guard is among 15 top prospects who have received an invitation from the NBA to camp out in the elite waiting area where they'll stay until drafted, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

The green room group also includes: Colorado's Alec Burks, Duke's Kyrie Irving, Turkey's Enes Kanter, Kentucky's Brandon Knight, San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard, Kansas' Marcus and Markieff Morris, Florida State's Chris Singleton, Washington State's Klay Thompson, Texas' Tristan Thompson, Lithuania's Jonas Valanciunas, Czech Republic's Jan Vesely, Arizona's Derrick Williams, and Connecticut's Kemba Walker.

NBA Draft 2011

Thursday, 5 p.m.

TV: ESPN

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