Minnesota's Blake Hoffarber Will Watch The 2011 NBA Draft, But Doesn't Expect To Be Selected

Former Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Blake Hoffarber doesn't expect to be selected in Thursday night's NBA Draft, but that hasn't stopped the Hopkins native from wanting to watch the annual affair.

"I think that I will be watching the draft with my family," Hoffarber told the Hopkins Patch. "This is the class that I grew up with, so I know a bunch of them that have already gotten to the NBA. I think that it will be interesting to see everyone you know."

Even if Hoffarber doesn't hear his name -- Minnesota's all-time leader in career three-pointers who averaged 13.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds as a senior --  he still has his hopes set on playing professionally next season.

"Right now, if things are not happening in the NBA, we are already making connections with European people," Hoffarber told the Patch. "Most of those teams will be calling after the NBA Draft."

Hoffarber has gone through pre-draft workouts with the Milwaukee Bucks and Timberwolves, so there's an outside chance that he's selected, but it seems he'll be playing professionally somewhere next season regardless of his draft status.

Blake Hoffarber Will Work Out With Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday

There hasn't been a lot of news to report regarding Minnesota Golden Gopher graduate Blake Hoffarber ever since his workout with the hometown Minnesota Timberwolves last month, but the sharp-shooting guard has still been preparing for the NBA Draft at Impact Basketball in Vegas just in case.

Hoffarber's second pre-draft workout, at least that's been made public knowledge, will happen Tuesday. Hoffarber, along with former Wisconsin rival Keaton Nankivil, are expected to showcase their wares for the Milwaukee Bucks front office in hopes of impressing the team enough to buy a late second-round pick in the June 23 draft.

Hoffarber, a 6-foot-4 guard from Minnetonka, finished his career as a Golden Gopher as the school's all-time leader in career three-pointers with 279 while shooting an impressive 41 percent from beyond the arc. As a senior, he averaged 13.6 points 4.1 assists and and 3.5 rebounds.

He isn't expected to be drafted, and due to the NBA lockout, he probably won't even have the luxury of earning his way onto an NBA roster through Summer League. Nevertheless, it's good to see he's still working toward living the dream.

Portsmouth Invitational: Minnesota's Blake Hoffarber Comes Through In The Clutch

The Portsmouth Invitational tipped off Wednesday night in Portsmouth, Va., with former Minnesota guard Blake Hoffarber and the K&D Rounds Landscaping team facing off against Sales System Ltd.

Hoffarber got off to a rough start, missing his only three shot attempts of the first half — all three-pointers — and dishing one assist in his 11 minutes of playing time.

The second half fared better for Hoffarber, however, as he made 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and dished three more assists in nine minutes of action. Most importantly, he came up in the clutch by hitting two free-throws with nine seconds left in the contest to help his team a 78-74 come from behind victory.

The leading scorer for Hoffarber’s team was Marquette small forward Jimmy Butler as he finished with 19 points. Syracuse big man Rick Jackson and Vlad Moldoveaunu of American University each finished with 13 points apiece.

For the opposing team, Pittsburgh guard Brad Wanaker scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds while while Washington forward Matt Bryan-Amaning finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

Hoffarber’s team next plays on Friday night against a team that features Montana center Brian Qvale.

Minnesota's Blake Hoffarber To Participate In Portsmouth Invitational Tournament

Blake Hoffarber is not likely an NBA prospect despite a respectable four seasons as a guard on the Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team, but he'll be taking his first step at showing NBA talent evaluators exactly what he's capable of later this week at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Hoffarber, a 6-foot-4 guard from Minnetonka, finished his career as a Golden Gopher as the school's all-time leader in career three-pointers with 279 while shooting an impressive 41 percent from beyond the arc. As a senior, he averaged 13.6 points 4.1 assists and and 3.5 rebounds.

According to the tournament's website, the Porthsmouth Invitational has invited 64 of the best college basketball seniors from across the nation to participate in a four-day, 12-game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team. Scouts from the NBA and numerous international leagues have joined in on the annual April pilgrimage to Portsmouth.

Recent players that have attended the Portsmouth tournament to go on to NBA success include New York Knicks rookie Landry Fields, Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews and Reggie Williams of the Golden State Warriors. Current Wolves Anthony Tolliver and Lazar Hayward both participated in the Portsmouth Invitational in previous seasons as well.

While in Portsmouth, Hoffarber will be playing on the team called K&D Rounds Landscaping and will be coached by Jim Markey and Patrick Dulin. His teammates will include Marquette's Jimmy Butler, Frank Hassell from Old Dominion, Syracuse big man Rick Jackson, Vlad Moldoveanu from American University, Chaisson Allen out of Northeastern, San Jose State guard Adrian Oliver and Mississippi's Chris Warren.