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UPDATE: Sam Dower is no longer participating in the tournament.
There is a pretty good chance that neither Sam Dower or David Stockton will hear their names called during the 2014 NBA Draft. It will be an uphill battle for sure, so when the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament comes calling, both players need to take advantage of the opportunity.
The PIT is one of the oldest amateur basketball tournaments in the nation and limits itself to seniors only. It started in 1952 and is now a four-day tournament consisting of 12 games. Some famous people have passed through the Portsmouth Invitational, including the likes of Scottie Pippen and David Stockton.
It also is a solid spring board for players to try and weasel their way into the second round of the NBA Draft. Kyle O' Quinn won the MVP in 2012 and was selected in the second round by the Orlando Magic. He averages 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17 minutes this season. Last year, BYU's Brandon Davies won the MVP. He didn't get drafted, but the attention from the tournament was enough to get an invite to the Chicago NBA Draft combine. Davies has made his way onto the Philadelphia 76ers this year.
For both Stockton and Dower, performing well in the Portsmouth Invitational is key. Neither player is projected on any mock draft board of any credibility for good reasons. Although Dower is silky smooth on offense, his defense leaves quite a bit to be desired and he doesn't have the highest ceiling. Stockton, for all of his great passing ability, still remains an undersized guard in college who will be severely undersized in the NBA.
Dower will play on the Mike Duman Auto Sales team, and from the looks of it will have a good chance to showcase his offensive abilities in the paint. Josh Davis wasn't ever an offensive focal point at San Diego State and Dower is a much better scorer than Jamil Wilson. Stockton will have a slightly tougher time on the Sales System, LTD team, because he will share time with Georgetown point guard Markel Starks. Starks finished the year with 17.3 points per game and 4.1 assists per game.
The tournament takes place between April 16-19 at the Churchland High School sports Complex in Portsmouth, Virginia.