Luke Kornet turned heads.
Now plenty of teams want a second look at the 7-foot-1 center from Vanderbilt in advance of the NBA Draft.
Kornet dealt with a left knee injury for much of his senior season at the SEC school. Following a recent workout held by his agency, Tandem Sports and Entertainment, interest in the versatile big man has grown. Kornet worked out for the Hawks on Thursday, his eighth pre-draft session with an NBA team. He has six more scheduled before the draft June 22.
“Most teams were impressed with how I was moving,” Kornet said of the agency workout. “After that, especially, a lot of teams wanted to get another look.”
Kornet averaged 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds for Vanderbilt last season. He shot 32.7 percent from 3-point range. Kornet is the NCAA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made by a player over 7-foot. In four seasons, Kornet was 150-of-469 (.320) from 3-point range.
The Hawks were very interested in his long-range shooting ability.
“They thought I moved the ball well and shot the ball well,” Kornet said. “We did a lot of offensive sets with the big man catching it on the roll and making the pass out of it. I enjoy playing like that.
“My comfort on the perimeter and being about to shoot, especially in terms of passing and working for the best shot, is how the Hawks play. It’s something they emphasize.”
Kornet went to the IMG Academy in Florida following his senior season to work out ahead of the draft. While there he finished his two remaining classes needed to graduate. Kornet returned to Nashville for the graduation ceremony after he earned his degree with a double major in computer science and math.
Lately, he has been living on the road with extensive pre-draft workouts.
The Hawks have three selections in the coming draft with picks Nos. 19, 31 and 60. Kornet is ranked No. 67 by Draft Express in its list of the top 100 prospects. He thinks he would be a good fit with the Hawks, especially after the workout witnessed by coach Mike Budenholzer and many assistant coaches and support personnel.
“I definitely think so, especially the situations they wanted to see in the workout,” Kornet said of being a fit in Atlanta. “There was an emphasis on ball movement and making the extra pass to get a great shot. That’s something, especially in the second half of my senior season, that we took a lot of pride in. That’s how I enjoy playing basketball.”
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