The 2024 NBA Draft is on Wednesday and Thursday, and though no UMass men’s basketball players are likely to be selected, a former Minuteman has his fingerprints all over the pre-draft process.

Ross Burns, a Greenfield native who walked on at UMass and went to the Final Four in 1996, works as a basketball trainer and serves as the director of Pro Hoops Inc. in New York City. He has worked with over 200 NBA players in his 18 years at Pro Hoops Inc., including 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero, 2016 No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram and 2016 No. 7 pick Jamal Murray. 

This spring, he’s worked with a couple players with chances of hearing their names called at the draft, including former Minnesota guard Cam Christie, former USC guard Boogie Ellis, former St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins and former G League Ignite forward Babacar Sane. All four players are represented by LIFT Sports Management, run by former Miami Heat guard Mike Miller and former Providence guard Donnie McGrath.

Burns spends mornings, afternoons and nights training basketball players from middle school to the pros in gyms across New York City. Most of his work with NBA Draft prospects comes in April, before players participate in the NBA Draft Combine in mid-May and work out with teams individually.

“With all these guys, I try to tell people, there’s so much that goes into this,” Burns said. “So I try not to overemphasize what I’m doing with them, because they’re putting the work in.”

During the pre-draft process, players come into the gym in the morning for an hour of performance work and then Burns does another 75 minutes of skill work with them. They head back for lunch and some recovery before 45 minutes of shooting in the afternoon. Burns said he likes to work with each player to make a personalized plan for their training sessions.

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While there is lots of tape of pre-draft prospects from AAU and college games, watching prospects compete in draft showcases and individual workouts give teams a different perspective on how certain players might fit in their specific system. Interviews in the pre-draft process also give teams a feel for each player’s personality.

Christie was college basketball’s youngest player this past season at Minnesota, but showed off NBA-ready skills, Burns said, especially with his percentages on 3-pointers off the dribble and dribble handoffs. He averaged 11.3 points per game on 40-39-79 shooting splits. His 6-foot-6, 190-pound frame, athleticism, shot-making, high-usage numbers and bloodline (his brother Max plays for the Lakers) all make him an intriguing prospect who could be selected in the late first or early second round, Burns said.

“All those things are going to translate to NBA teams,” Burns said. “Especially in a year where the NBA Draft is kind of upside down and there’s not a lot of certainty in it.”

Thanks in part to a strong run of performances since the end of the college basketball season, Ellis has been shooting up draft boards. He played well at the first showcase of the season for college seniors, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in late April, and earned himself an invite to the G League Elite Camp, a two-day event in front of NBA and G League scouts, coaches and executives. After another strong performance at the G League Elite Camp, Ellis earned an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine.

“I think maybe of anybody in the entire draft he’s helped himself the most,” Burns said. “He just keeps and keeps going. The teams that I talk to are all high on him. He’s interviewed well, he’s tested well, his private workouts have gone well so he’s really helped himself.”

Burns said Ellis can fill a shot-making and defense role in the NBA, where the game is simpler and cleaner and roles are more defined than in college. Through his five years at Memphis and USC – the last four of which he scored double-digit points per game – Ellis gained valuable experience and showed NBA teams he has a clear skillset, Burns said. He said Ellis has a chance of being selected toward the end of Thursday’s second round.

While players like Ellis can improve their draft stock throughout the pre-draft process, variables out of their control like trades and coaching changes can shake up things on draft night.

“You just never know,” Burns said. “The thing with the draft is, it’s really all about one team saying they’re into you. As you know, they’re never going to let that be known.”

With the pre-draft process now over, Burns has done all he can to help his players boost their stock for draft night. Now the waiting game begins.

“I think everyone’s gotten a chance to help themselves in the process,” Burns said. “And that’s what it’s about.”