Askia Booker, senior, covers an Oregon player during the 2015 Pac-12 Tournament. (Gray Bender/CU Independent)
During the end of the year Colorado men’s basketball banquet, head coach Tad Boyle announced that senior guard Askia Booker was one of 64 seniors across the country to be invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia this week.
Booker left Wednesday morning for the tournament, which will run from April 8 through April 11. It will be his chance to impress NBA scouts and perhaps create a future career for himself in the pros.
According to the tournament’s website, “Each year for 63 years the P.I.T. has invited 64 of the best college basketball players (seniors) from across the nation to participate in a four-day, twelve game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team.”
Some of the players headlining this year’s tournament include Notre Dame stand-out Pat Connaughton, Virginia Commonwealth guard Traveon Graham, Washington State’s DaVonte Lacy, Stanford’s Stefan Nastic and Villanova forward JayVaughn Pinkston.
Though neither Booker nor Boyle spoke much about the tournament during the banquet, one thing is certain. This may be Booker’s best shot at getting a look from NBA teams.
Booker finished his final season with the Buffaloes averaging 17.2 points a game, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals. And though he wouldn’t say so directly in his most recent interview with the CU Independent, Booker alluded that some teams had already reached out to him.
“I don’t want to disclose that yet, but I’m not picky,” Booker said, smiling. “If I’m lucky enough to get a job in the NBA and to compete at a very high level, that’s all I need: one shot. All I need is one shot. I’ll be there for a while. My work ethic alone will carry me.”
Contact CU Independent Basketball Writer Alissa Noe at alissa.noe@colorado.edu.
