NBA keeping an eye on prep star Odom

Tim Graham

Friday, Dec. 20, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Five minutes.

That's all Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak needed to find out if scouting potential UNLV recruit Lamar Odom was worth his time.

"Anybody we consider a pro prospect, when you watch them play at this level, they gotta stick out like a sore thumb," Kupchak said Thursday, as he sat along with two dozen other NBA representatives in the bleachers of Durango High at the Reebok Holiday Prep Classic.

"I'll be able to tell quickly if this is a player I need to see again."

Every NBA scout wanted to catch a glimpse of Odom, the high school star at Redemption Christian of Troy, N.Y., who has thoughts of entering the 1997 NBA Draft.

But if the NBA ranks all shared Kupchak's philosophy in looking at the 6-foot-9 senior forward, they probably came away unimpressed.

Although Odom recorded 21 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots in a 75-54 victory over Rangeview of Aurora, Colo., it wasn't pretty.

He looked lethargic and didn't score until 54.7 seconds were left in the first half. He also looked bored, and toward the end of the game was firing up shots from more than 30 feet and joking with some hecklers as he dribbled the ball upcourt.

Maybe he knew his five minutes were up.

"I was just going out there to win a game," Odom said afterward, with television cameras, radio microphones and newspaper reporters marking his every word, just as the scouts had marked his every move.

"I'll just have to pick it up the next game. My shots were not dropping. It was an average game ... not even."

But that's why college coaches were watching, too. If Odom doesn't opt for the professional ranks, he will choose a college.

"If (the NBA) comes along, it comes along," he said, claiming he had no idea pro scouts were in the stands. "It all matters where I get picked, basically. That's why they have that new rule where if you don't like how you got picked, as long as you don't get an agent, you can still go to college.

"But I think I need to be among the top 10 (players drafted). Lottery pick has a nice sound to it."

If he does go the college route, his short list includes three schools he has officially visited -- UNLV, Connecticut and Kentucky -- and two more he will visit soon -- Villanova and Michigan. All but Kentucky were at Durango Thursday.

The Rebels were represented by head coach Bill Bayno and assistant Greg Vetrone, who has spearheaded the effort to sign Odom. Vetrone is from Queens and attended Christ the King, Odom's school before he transferred to Redemption last summer.

Bayno and Vetrone rushed over upon returning from Syracuse, where UNLV was thrashed, 78-57, Wednesday night.

"I watched that game," Odom said. "They didn't look too good."

In choosing a school, however, that could be a plus.

"I don't want to take any chances," Odom said. "Wherever I go, I want a chance to be The Man. It'll come down to how many minutes I'll get, my relationship with the coaches and the players, stuff like that."

Still, there's no substitute for a prep basketball star's ultimate fantasy.

"I'm flattered by all the attention (from NBA scouts)," Odom said. "I can't help but think about it. Playing at that level is a dream for any kid."

Redemption takes on Crenshaw, ranked No. 4 in the West by USA Today, in Cimarron-Memorial's auxiliary gym today at 5:20 p.m.

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