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Following an MVP-winning performance where he led his team to a championship victory, Jaylen Barford was named one of nine NBA sleepers from the player pool in Portsmouth by Sports Illustrated on Monday.
SI.com praised Barford’s confident scoring ability and conditioning, claiming that “more than any other player in the tournament, [he] was visibly locked in from a competitive standpoint." They also added that while “making the NBA will be a tall challenge, [he] certainly looked ready to give it a serious try.”
In three tournament games, the 6-3 guard averaged 19.3 points and 6.6 assists while dishing out a team-high six assists in the championship victory. Barford’s buzzer-beating circus layup in the semifinals gave his squad an 85-83 win and propelled them to the title game, where they would go on to win by one point, 91-90. He was named the 2018 tournament MVP and selected to the All-Tournament team.
Another former Razorback guard, Daryl Macon, participated as well and showed flashes in three contests. The Little Rock (Ark.) native put up 10.7 points per game but really shined as a facilitator, racking up 23 total assists (best in the tournament) for an average of 7.7 per game.
While the NBA Combine is the ultimate scouting venue for potential draft prospects, the Portsmouth Invitational provides underrated seniors a platform to show what they can do in front of execs and representatives of NBA teams. Famous tournament alums include Rick Barry, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen and Jimmy Butler in 2015. Last year, six players from the Portsmouth Invitational were selected in the 2017 NBA draft, including the Spurs’ first-round pick, Derrick White from Colorado.
The 2018 NBA Draft Combine will be held May 16-20 in Chicago. Both Barford and Macon could potentially find their way onto an NBA roster without participating in the combine, but the odds of making their professional dreams come true increase exponentially with an invite.