Gaffney Continues to Improve Chances for NBA Draft

According to Draft Express Tony Gaffney has improved his chances of possibly being drafted by moving up their list of the top power forwards. The list includes some of the biggest names coming out of college, like Oklahoma's Blake Griffin as well as some of the top European players. Gaffney was originally at the 28th ranked spot and has now moved up to #21. The NBA Draft is set for June 25th at Madison Square Garden in New York.

NBA Workout Review

To get a synopsis of this past week and the two NBA workouts that Tony completed go no further than the story by Ron Chimelis, sports writer for the Springfield Republican

see storty titled UMass basketball's Tony Gaffney draws NBA interest from Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks

Gaffney Shows off Strong Skill Set for Pacers and Bucks

Mr. Gaffney is having a very busy week, having already worked out for the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff. The Milwaukee Bucks player of personnel Dave Babcock had this to say about Tony:

Tony Gaffney - “He’s sort of a late bloomer. He was at Portsmouth and played pretty well. We added him at the last minute. He’s long, very springy, and has big hands. He could get drafted. He’ll definitely get a chance".

for more info click here

Gaffney Heads to Milwaukee for Next Workout

Tony had a great session at Indiana and is now headed to show off his talents to the Milwaukee Bucks staff. Here is a video of Tony and others working out in Indiana. Here is a quote from the Indy Star blog: "I don't get star struck very often, but when I saw Mr. Bird walk in here, or as we call him, Larry Legend, I was almost in awe. My whole life I grew up watching him. He's a guy that means the world to me. He's been a childhood idol of mine my entire life." - Gaffney, who grew up in Massachusetts. The Pacers found out last night that they will have the 13th pick in the draft on June 25 at Madison Square Garden in NY.

Tony Gaffney Headed to Indiana Pacers for Workout

Tony Gaffney is headed down to Indiana today and will be working out for Larry Bird and the Pacers coaching staff. I'm sure Pacer's strength coach Shawn Windle (who I worked with at UConn) will put Tony through a tough workout. Check back - more to come...

Latest News from IMG Academy

Tony continues to impress the coaches down at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Under the guidance of coaches David Thorpe and Mike Moreau, Gaffney and the rest of the phenoms work to improve their overall games for future pro tryouts. To read the full story and see some great photos of Tony in action - please visit the IMG blog.

Quote of the Week on Mr. Gaffney

We continue to hear great comments from people involved in different aspects of the sports industry regarding Tony Gaffney. The latest is from David Thorpe, an NBA analyst for ESPN the Insider:

"If he's not an NBA player I might just quit and become a shepherd. He's almost Tyrus-like as an athlete with a 7'2" wingspan with skills and a super hot motor that never stops."

Check out this nice piece written by Mr. Thorpe on this years best NBA rookies.

The Daily Collegian Talks About Gaffney and UMass Season

The Daily Collegian talks about the UMass basketball season and in particular the fantastic year that Sr. Tony Gaffney had and also named him one of the Top 5 male Athletes at UMass (photo credit: P.J. Stanley/Daily Collegian).

2009 Early Entry List for NBA Draft

Here is a complete list of who is leaving the college scene early to enter this years NBA draft. The list also includes all the International players as well. Please visit NBA Draft.net to see all the players.

Interview of Tony Gaffney on HoopsWorld.com

There is a great video on the HoopsWorld.com site that shows Tony being interviewed and going through a workout at IMG Academy in Florida on April 30th. Click this link to see the video (go to draft video, highlighted in red, once your on the site)

2009 NBADL Pre-Draft Camp

The Ridiculous Upside site has some pretty good information in terms of what's happening around the D-League, including pre-draft camp info for their league...check it out.

"Pre-Draft camp provides players with a unique opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to team and league officials,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President for NBA D-League Basketball Operations and Player Personnel. “And while it provides athletes a chance to showcase their games, it also allows our teams to evaluate top-notch talent in a highly competitive environment.”