Champagnie: "I am confident in myself. I am confident in my chances. So I am going to just run with that.”
Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
Pitt product Justin Champagnie spoke with the media on Thursday morning and shed some light on his experiences since making the decision to cut his collegiate career short and announcing his entry into the NBA draft back on March 23. And as he tells it, there is plenty of room for optimism ahead of the draft.
“I am feeling confident,” Champagnie told reporters on Thursday. “I am confident in myself. I am confident in my chances. So I am going to just run with that.” You could say Champagnie isn't betting on basketball, he's betting on himself.
When asked to expound on the reason for his confidence, Champagnie revealed that he has been assured by at least one team that they plan to select him if he falls to them during the draft. However, Champagnie would not provide any details on which team that was.
The forward also noted that he has met with 11 NBA teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors. He also revealed that he has workouts scheduled with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks ahead of the draft. So those 10 teams will be ones to watch.
As for a Plan B in the event that he does not go in the draft, Champagnie said that he has given it some thought, but it does not sound like that is a major concern for the Brooklyn native.
"From the feedback I’ve gotten, I don’t think that is going to be my issue," Champagnie said.
The NBA draft is set to get underway on July 29. The event will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and will air nationally on ESPN and ABC. If Champagnie is selected in the draft, he will be the first former Pitt player chosen since Cam Johnson in 2019 and the first player to conclude their career at Pitt picked since Lamar Patterson 2014.
