Utah Jazz: Toolson wants a shot at the NBA

He's the nephew of Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, the cousin of former Jazz/BYU sharpshooter Andy Toolson, and an ex-Utah Valley teammate of Jazz guard Ronnie Price.

He scored 63 points in a game last season, the highest outing by any player all year in the NCAA and more than any Division I player ever in Utah.

He also topped the nation in free-throw shooting (92.7 percent) for the third year in a row, and earned Dick Vitale's nod as the national player of the week.

But even with some interesting and impressive listings on his NBA info sheet, Ryan Toolson knows he is considered a longshot to get picked up in Thursday's draft.

Still, UVU's all-time leading scorer seized the chance to work out for the Jazz on Tuesday with highly regarded players such as Jeff Teague of Wake Forest and Kentucky's Jodie Meeks.

"I'm playing against the top players in the country, so it's always good to be able to play against such good guys when you're from such a small school," Toolson said.

"For me," he added, "it's more trying to be seen because people have heard about me, but they haven't really had a chance to see me play."

Toolson felt like he held his own, especially when it came to shooting, against the group of guards at the Jazz's training facility Tuesday. But he's realistic about Thursday, when he admits a best-case scenario would see him go late in the second round.

"Chances of me getting drafted are slim," he said.

Toolson has benefited from his NBA connections, and he gets advice and support from all three guys on occasion. He keeps in touch with Price, often through texts.

"He's kind of paved the way for me," Toolson said, regarding Price's path from Orem to the NBA. "He always has good information. Coming from a guy who did what I'm trying to do — come from such a small school and make it in such a demanding league. It's good to know that he's there by my side to help me out."

Toolson was the fifth local pro prospect to train with the Jazz.

Utah's Luke Nevill and Shaun Green, Utah State's Gary Wilkerson and Westminster's Geoff Payne previously worked out with other NBA hopefuls during the past week.

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