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Draft Party
The NBDL schedules their player draft.

Selections from the National Basketball Association Director of Scouting, Marty Blake, will compliment the excitement surrounding the second annual National Basketball Development League player draft scheduled for October 31^st.

" Our Player Personnel Director Milt Newton has done a fine job signing players for the 2002 draft," NBDL Executive Director Karl Hicks said. " The talent reflected in the draft runs from players who are sure to be NBA call-ups, to those who will really benefit from the developmental aspect of our league."

Taking place over 14 rounds, the league's second annual draft will be conducted via conference call from locations in each of the eight NBDL markets beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Halloween.

At NBDL draft headquarters, Blake will join Hicks and Newton in the Azalea Room at the Hilton Garden Inn in Duluth, GA. Blake will be commenting to NBDL draft parties and in market media via the conference call on players selected through the first two rounds.

" This is the best crop of young players I've seen in years and some of these players are what the Development League is all about," Blake said.

" Sometimes even future stars take time to develop and the NBDL offers that opportunity, an opportunity to play."

The first selection belongs to the Roanoke Dazzle, followed by the Fayetteville Patriots, Asheville Altitude, Huntsville Flight, Mobile Revelers, Columbus Riverdragons, North Charleston Lowgators, and the 2002 NBDL Champs, Greenville Groove.

The selection process will be operated similarly to last year's draft, with each team having one pick in each of the 14 rounds.

Teams will have up to three minutes to make a selection in each round. No trades will be permitted during the draft and only players signed to an NBDL Standard Player Contract will be eligible to be drafted

Current Denver Nuggets forward Chris Andersen was the first player to be selected in NBDL Draft history and the first NBDL player to earn a call-up to the NBA.

Andersen received a call from the Nuggets after he had played just two games with the Fayetteville Patriots last year.

In the NBDL's first season, they had more players called up to the NBA than any professional basketball minor league. After only one season of operation, 22 NBDL players were in NBA vet camps when the preseason opened earlier this month.