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On the University of Dayton's athletic site, Devin Oliver answered the career goal section of his Personal Data section "to play in the NBA or become an ESPN broadcaster." After wrapping up his collegiate career with the Dayton Flyers this past season with a trip to the Elite Eight, it's hard to tell which one of the those goals he might be closer to.
On the one hand, the 6-foot-6 Oliver led Dayton in minutes (29.9 per game), rebounds (7.4), and assists (2.3) while also finishing second on the team in scoring (11.2). He was efficient from the field, connecting on 48.4 percent of his shots, and showed something of an outside stroke with a 39.6 percent clip from beyond the arc.
| Name | College | Height | Weight | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Stocks* | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
| Devin Oliver | Dayton | 6-foot-6 | 225 lbs. | 29.9 | 11.9 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 48.4 | 39.6 | 76.3 |
*Stocks = Steals + Blocks. Brainchild of Bill Simmons to quantify defensive impact a player makes.
In order to get any buzz these days, however, you need to get the requisite pre-Draft workout invitations that generate buzz from the experts. Thus far Oliver has worked out for the Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards and also took part in an agency showcase where he showed off his ball handling skills against expected-lottery pick Gary Harris of Michigan State, but did not take part in the 3-on-3 portion of that workout in California, according to Chad Ford. (Insider)
Besides being named Dayton's team MVP this season, Oliver earned his second Most Improved Player award and became the first Flyers player to earn both awards in the same season. This is a player who constantly put in the work to get better and led his team by example - two characteristics that NBA GMs and coaches drool over.
But does all of that add up to an NBA player? NBADraft.net has him at the No. 90 player in the 2014 NBA Draft, ESPN's Chad Ford doesn't even have him listed, and his DraftExpress.com profile is just as sparse. The experts don't seem to have much love for the mid-major forward, but players with his makeup are few and far between.
All of this points to Oliver not hearing his name called on Thursday night, but that doesn't mean he won't land somewhere in the league as an undrafted free agent. He has good height for the small forward position, and we've seen how valuable players that play that position have become in the NBA, particularly if they have a demonstrated ability to shoot the ball.
Don't look to hear Oliver's name called by NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum during the second round, but once the undrafted rumors start flying over the weekend he should be a hot commodity.