The J-Notes
Fansided

Utah Jazz: Zach Auguste Headlines Pre-Draft Workouts

By Ryan Aston

Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Zach Auguste (30) reacts during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Zach Auguste (30) reacts during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Utah Jazz continued pre-draft workouts with a group of six prospects, including Notre Dame forward Zach Auguste. Also–former Jazzman Matt Harpring celebrates a birthday.

After a brief hiatus, the Utah Jazz resumed pre-draft workouts on Tuesday with another group of six prospects. As with most of the workouts held to date, the group was comprised primarily of senior players who likely won’t hear their names called on draft night.

It’s all part of Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey’s wide-scale approach to talent evaluation; the team is gathering intel that could help with future roster moves. Jazz VP of player personnel Walt Perrin noted after the workouts that the team is also looking for players to add to its D-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

Tuesday’s workout group was headlined by Notre Dame big man Zach Auguste and Texas A&M guard Alex Caruso.

Auguste, a four-year player for the Irish, was a strong inside scorer and rebounder in college, averaging 14 points and nearly 11 boards per contest during his senior season. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award and a third-team All-ACC selection this past year.

He also combined with point man Demetrius Jackson to lead the Irish to a 24-12 regular season record and an impressive NCAA Tournament run that concluded with a loss to North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

The 22-year-old currently checks in at No. 80 on the DraftExpress Top 100 and could be a factor in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft.

Caruso, meanwhile, is currently ranked 86th on the DX big board. The six-foot-six combo guard was a player who hung his hat on defense for Texas A&M. He led the SEC in both defensive win shares (2.4) and steals per game (2.1) in 2015-16.

He also played a large part in helping the program capture a school-record 28 wins and an appearance in the Sweet 16. For the season, Caruso averaged eight points, five assists and nearly four rebounds per game for the Aggies.

Caruso and Auguste were joined at Tuesday’s workouts by Virginia forward Anthony Gill, Iowa State wing Abdel Nadar, Nebraska wing Shavon Shields and Washington point guard Andrew Andrews.

Another player who took to the court at the Zions Bank Basketball Center was Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who has been working out in Utah–

The 2016 NBA Draft will take place on June 23. The Jazz own the No. 12 pick in the first round and three second round picks.

Next: What the Jazz Can Learn From the WCF

Happy Birthday, Matt Harpring

In addition to the pre-draft goodness, Jazz Nation had another reason to celebrate on Tuesday, namely Matt Harpring‘s 40th birthday.

The Jazzman-turned-broadcaster spent seven years with the team as a player, averaging 12 points and five rebounds per game. While he continues to provide fans with his insight on Jazz broadcasts, I’ll always remember him for elbow jumpers, baseline cuts and battles with Metta World Peace.

Also, he played football in high school. Just ask his play-by-play partner Craig Bolerjack.

Hope you had a good one, Matty Hoops.