The best advice Plaisted has received in this pre-draft process is that he should be himself and not try and do things he hasn't done in his career. "I'm a guy that hustles. I run the floor and I used my athleticism. You have to use your strengths. I have to be the kind of player I am. I haven't magically become a 3-point shooter."

Plaisted said he was honored to workout with Sloan and appreciated the attention. "He's a class guy, a hall-of-fame coach and a legend."

Sloan did not comment on Plasited's Tuesday's workout, a two-man affair with Arkansas 7-footer Steven Hill, but Walt Perrin, director of player personnel for Utah did.

"I think Trent struggled a little bit today physically in conditioning. I think he may have been a little sick. He needs to work on his total game. He needs to work on stepping out and hitting some jump shots, continue to work on his post-up game and moving his feet defensively."

Asked about the importance of having a jump shot as a big man, Perrin said the perimeter game is important. "You have to learn how to step out and knock down a 12 or 15 jump shot because in our league, at our level, it would be hard for him to be on the post all the time."

Plaisted said he's improved his shooting, but that's something teams will have to comment on and confirm. Since leaving BYU, however, Plaisted is the first to admit, "I haven't suddenly become a jump shooting fiend."

Mock drafts have migrated on Plaisted. Some have projected he'll be a first-round pick to a solid second rounder and some have him not being drafted at all.

"I give absolutely no credence to mock drafts," Plaisted said. There is one that projected Plaisted to go to Utah in the second round. "But if they took me in the second round I'd be pleased."

Perrin discounted mock drafts that have Utah taking Plaisted in the second round. "I don't know where he'll go. To tell you the truth, we have been working on the first round. We'll likely study the second round today and tomorrow."

A second-round pick might not make a dent on the Jazz, the way the team is constructed today. "I think a first round pick would be hard to make our roster," added Perrin, who told a TV station this week he believed Plaisted would be better served if he'd spent one more year in college.

Why? Perrin said he'd have more time being "the guy" getting "more touches" and developing his game.

Said Perrin Tuesday, "I don't know where he goes right now, if he's a solid second round pick, at No. 44, and I think he'll be available, I don't know if we take him."

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com