June 1, 2006

The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each Friday from September through February and monthly from April through in August. In the first of our special June entries with an eye towards the National Basketball Association draft, we catch up with Allan Ray as he embarks upon his journey in professional basketball.

For the last four years, the two anchors of Allan Ray's existence were linked by 90 miles of the New Jersey Turnpike. The neighborhood near Yankee Stadium where he came of age in the Bronx, N.Y. was one constant. The Villanova community, where he came of age as a basketball player, was another.

Over the last four weeks, though, Ray's horizons have expanded exponentially.

These days, his base of operations is in Woodland Hills, Cal., outside of Los Angeles. Already he has traveled to Oakland, Toronto, New York, and Memphis for sessions with the Golden State Warriors, Raptors, Knicks and Grizzlies. Today, June 1, he is in Minneapolis for a workout with the Timberwolves.

It is all done in pursuit of a career in the National Basketball Association.

"This is exciting," Ray states. "Having an opportunity to play in the NBA is something you dream about. I'm just trying to work hard to make the most of this chance. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Ray came to California as soon as he completed his spring semester exams. So engrossed in the process of preparation was Ray that he was unable to attend commencement exercises at Villanova. It's a sacrifice he felt had to be made - an audition for an NBA team was scheduled for the next day and there was no way to be certain a return flight would deliver him to his destination on time.

So he set aside the fun and focused on his future.

While the prospect of relaxing in California might be tempting to some recent college grads, Ray enjoys no such luxury.

"It's pretty much all basketball, all the time," he states.

Each day, Ray rises to begin a regimen that gets underway by 8 a.m. It starts with a morning running session overseen by a track coach. Later in the morning, he shifts to weightlifting. Then come all manner of basketball drills, many of them aimed at developing his ballhandling skill, the area that most experts believe will go a long way toward determining where Ray ultimately lands.

"I think everyone knows that I can score," says the man who ranks sixth on Villanova's all-time points list with 2,025 points. "We're pretty much focused on working on my ballhandling. There are a lot of ballhandling drills and shooting drills that incorporate ballhandling. Teams want to see if I can handle the basketball and run a team."

Of course, the daily routine is peppered with travel to NBA cities as teams fly him in along with other prospects to get a closer look. At one point, Ray worked out for four teams - in four different locales - over the course of six days. With so much on the line, it can fray the nerves at time.

"My first workout was with Golden State," he recalls, "and I was nervous. I just wanted to see what it was like. You hear so much about it and you have a mindset that you want to do well. But it went pretty well and it's gotten easier now that I have been through a few of them. At least you know what to expect."

Typically, four athletes are brought in on the same day. They gather at the organization's workout facility and often square off against one another in games of 1-on-1 and 2-on-2. There are usually agility drills and the session frequently concludes with the players sitting down with coaches and team personnel executives, sometimes over lunch.

To date, Ray reports that he and agent Bill Duffy are detecting good vibrations.

"It's all been positive," he says. "Each team has said I did well. I think my best workout was probably in Memphis. But I know there are more to come."

Indeed, a watershed moment could come next week at the annual pre-draft camp in Orlando. Ray is slated to play against many of his peers in this class of prospective rookies in front of talent evaluators from across the league. They will see him at point guard and he is eager for the opportunity.

"I hope it can be my coming out party as a point guard," he says. "There will be a lot of eyes on me and I can't wait to show what I can do."

Although he is far from the Main Line, Ray remains closely tethered to the Wildcats. He speaks often with coach Jay Wright and his staff. He also exchanges text messages and talks with fellow Villanova NBA draft candidates Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry. In fact, he is looking forward to a reunion of sorts next week when the trio will be in Orlando (Foye is not expected to play but will be on hand for measurements and interviews).

"All the coaches have given me the same advice: continue to work hard and things will fall into place," he says.

It is understood that Ray's future may be clearer following Orlando. At that point, a consensus usually forms about a prospect's chances for being a first or second round draft pick. Duffy has indicated to Ray that the pace of individual team workouts should quicken after Orlando.

Naturally, Ray would love to be considered a first round choice. And while he knows that most mock drafts don't yet place him in that company, he realizes that fretting over that development is wasted energy. So he plans to exhaust every ounce of energy over the next 28 days to leave a lasting impression on NBA scouts. Whatever the outcome, he will be ready to embrace his new profession eagerly.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on draft night," he says.

Wherever his next step takes him, Ray won't soon forget how he got to this point.

"I appreciate everything Villanova has done for me," he adds, before hanging up to board a plane that will take him to his next appointment. "I hope I can make everyone proud."