As the clock wound down on the NBA Draft, UC Davis graduate Mark Payne must have been holding his breath. Unfortunately for Payne, who had worked out for several NBA squads prior to the draft, Thursday was not his night.
Neither Payne, nor Aggie teammate Joe Harden were among the 60 players taken in Thursday’s draft. While the duo undoubtedly would have preferred to have been selected by a professional team, not being drafted was not the end of their professional careers. The two will likely have the chance to try out with several NBA teams over the next few months.
Should they fail to sign on with an American squad, Payne and Harden may follow the footsteps of former teammate Dominic Calegari and sign with a European club. Calegari, who graduated from UC Davis in spring of 2010, signed for Ukrainian squad Khimik in February.
