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There is more evidence that Joe Alexander's name could be called relatively early in the upcoming NBA Draft. Alexander -- a Linganore grad -- is one of 15 prospective picks who got invited to spend draft night in the green room at Madison Square Garden. Only the most highly regarded prospects get invited, meaning invitees are expected to get picked early in the draft. The NBA compiles this select list of players by polling teams that have the first 15 picks in the draft. This reduces the chance of having a presumed top prospect get disappointed in public when he falls in the draft -- think Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, a projected early selection in the NFL draft who fell to the 22nd pick. "They don't want to see a guy on national television slide in the draft. It's an emotional process," said Doug Neustadt, president of the Neustadt Group, which is Alexander's agency. "So they only select 15 guys, so Joe is one of only 15." All 15 players invited to the green room for the 2007 draft were picked in the top 16. Nick Young -- taken by the Washington Wizards at No. 16 -- was the last one chosen. The green room invitation is a confirmation of what mock drafts have been saying for weeks -- most predict Alexander will be an early to mid first-round pick. "He could be a single digit guy, say six on down. He'll definitely be in the lottery," Neustadt said. The top 14 players selected are lottery picks. Guaranteed money for the top 14 picks ranges from $1,424,400 to $4,019,000. The pay scale for the rest of the first-round ranges from $797,600 to $1,353,100. Every first-round pick is guaranteed a two-year contract. Alexander's stock -- already solid after a stellar junior season at West Virginia -- has only risen. The 6-foot-8 forward showcased his ability at the physicals-only part of the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando and at workouts with NBA teams like Phoenix, Sacramento and Portland -- all of which pick in the top 15. He originally entered his name in the draft to test the NBA waters. After receiving positive feedback, he decided to forgo his senior season at West Virginia and stay in the draft. He signed with the Neustadt Group, which is also the agency for Thomas Johnson graduate Terence Morris, who starred for the Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv basketball team last season.
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