Elliott, Others Aim to Add Local Flavor to Wizards

After a pre-draft workout for the Washington Wizards yesterday, former George Washington point guard Carl Elliott walked off the practice floor at Verizon Center drenched in sweat. On a ramp overlooking the court, a support group waited for him.

Former GW stars and current NBA players Mike Hall (Wizards) and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Dallas Mavericks) came to the workout to offer encouragement to their former teammate, who is hoping to make the same jump from the college ranks to the pros.

"I've gotta support my guy," Hall said. "He got me the ball. He's partly responsible for me being here."

Elliott was one of nine college players who worked out in front of team executives in a pair of hour-long sessions. Elliott, along with Virginia Tech guard Jamon Gordon and onetime Virginia swingman Derrick Byars (who later transferred to Vanderbilt), gave the workouts a local feel. "It was good to have those guys in there," said Elliott, who participated in a Wizards pre-draft workout for the second straight year.

A pair of ACC stars also tried to make an impression: 6-foot-10 forward Josh McRoberts (Duke) and 6-5 guard Javaris Crittenton (Georgia Tech). Both players, along with Byars, are expected to be first-round selections. Southern California's Nick Young, a projected first-rounder who has played in pickup games with Wizards star Gilbert Arenas, worked out during a morning session.

"Just today, he smiled at me and said, 'Go to work," Young said of Arenas, a fellow native of the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles. "Same area. I've got to represent."

Arenas went beyond encouragement in his assistance of another potential draftee. When Crittenton tore a hole in his sneakers during his workout, Arenas loaned the hopeful a pair of shoes. "They're pretty comfortable," said Crittenton, who like Arenas wears a size 13.

Small forward Sun Yue from China and center Anthony Tolliver of Creighton worked out as scheduled, while California center DeVon Hardin was a last-minute addition.