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Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke are among nine players from mid-major conferences who were invited to the 2019 NBA Draft combine, according to the list that the NBA released on Wednesday.
Morant, the sophomore out of Murray State, is a projected top-three pick, while Gonzaga’s Clarke is a potential lottery selection.
Clarke was among three Gonzaga players to receive in invitation, though Rui Hachimura did not. Hachimura is the projected fourth pick, according to NBADraft.net. The same site has Clarke going 23rd, with fellow invitees Killian Tillie and Zach Norvell Jr. not projected.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie says Hachimura’s omission was not a mistake, though we are still waiting on a reason for it.
FWIW, Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura not being on this list is not a mistake. A source tells me he’s not going to the combine. Will follow up with more when I get it.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) May 8, 2019
Along with the trio of Zags and Morant, Dylan Windler (Belmont), Miye Oni (Yale), Jalen McDaniels (San Diego State), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky) and Neemias Queta (Utah State) also received invites. Windler is the only senior among the mid-major invitees.
The full list can be found here:
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The combine will take place on May 16 and 17 in Chicago and will feature five-on-five games as well as drills to highlight shooting, strength, and agility. Parts of both days will air on ESPN2. The league also says that a select number of additional players will also be invited based on their performance at the NBA G League Elite Camp from May 12-14. A list of those invitees can be found here.