By Brent Johnson
The last time former Cougar Rafael Araujo played at a Utah Jazz facility, the star center manhandled nationally-ranked Oklahoma State scoring 32 points and grabbing 17 rebounds at the Delta Center last winter.
He was back last Friday, May 28.
The 6-11 monster center from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and who”s now listed at 295 pounds, was invited to show his stuff at a private workout with the Jazz.
Araujo impressed.
Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa ran the workout. He said all four players involved in the workout did well.
“All four guys have certain different skills,” Chiesa said. “They all played well. No one really stood out.”
However, Chiesa was impressed with what Araujo brought to the workout.
“Rafael can add to our team,” Chiesa said, “[with] inside scoring presence, defensive rebounding, good banger inside and the ability to make shots and score the ball.”
The former BYU star has steadily worked his way up on teams” lists through his personal workouts. Popular professional basketball Web sites have “Rafa” projected to go anywhere from the No. 12 overall to No. 24 in the NBA Draft on June 24. CBS.sportsline.com projects that the Jazz will draft the center as the 14th pick overall. The Jazz own three first-round picks: No. 14, 16 and 21.
Chiesa wasn”t the only one impressed by Araujo”s efforts. Kevin O”Connor, Utah Jazz Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations, is the man who makes important personnel decisions. O”Connor said that Araujo has great potential.
“We see him as a mature person,” O”Connor said. “Because of his body, and because there is a need at that particular position, wherever he went he would have an opportunity to contribute immediately. Physically, he”s ready to do it. But now you have got to see skill level and mentally if he can do it.”
As far as the workout was concerned, O”Connor was impressed with what he saw in Araujo.
“He performed well,” O”Connor said. “We try and ask him to do things that maybe we have a question mark about, and he did those things.”
Araujo said that he likes the area and the idea of playing for the Jazz.
“Right now, everybody is looking for a paycheck,” Rafa said. “I love this town, I love this community. I had a great two years here. All of my friends are from here. That”s not my decision; I have a couple more workouts to do. We”ll see what happens.”
“We”ll see what happens” is the only thing that can be said before the NBA Draft. But the Araujo-to-Jazz match seems like a match made in heaven for all involved.
“He”s a dying breed, he”s a center,” O”Connor said. “He certainly has that going for him.”
He has a lot of interested fans in Provo curious as to where he will end up as well.
