Anthony exceeding dreams with shot at being selected

He made a phone call, worked on his laptop computer and still had three hours until departure.

"Right now, I’m exhausted," he said. "I’m about to sleep for the next two days."

The 6-foot-9-inch former UNLV center will wake up in time to watch today’s NBA Draft. If he gets picked in the second round, he definitely will not say it’s a dream come true.

Why? Because he did not even accidentally dream of being in this position a year ago.

"I couldn’t really see it," he said. "I never really even thought about this type of opportunity."

But Anthony’s stock is surprisingly rising. Of the Rebels’ five seniors, he was the only one who did not start in the last three months of the season. Now, he’s the most likely draft pick of the five.

"Joel has been tearing it up. Don’t be surprised at all if his name is called," said point guard Kevin Kruger, also a potential second-round selection.

When he arrived at UNLV as a junior college transfer in 2004, Anthony admits he was clumsy. He had trouble dribbling, catching and shooting the ball. He averaged just 1.9 points per game and was redshirted the following season.

As a senior, he was benched after six games. After scoring 10 points in a season-opening victory over Hawaii, he went 15 consecutive games without scoring in double figures.

Everything turned around for Anthony on Feb. 7. The sleeping giant had a school-record 13 blocked shots to go with eight points and 11 rebounds in an 82-67 victory over Texas Christian at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Always a strong defender, he improved his offensive skills and was a pivotal player as the Rebels (30-7) reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.

UNLV coach Lon Kruger said Anthony is a mystery to NBA scouts because of his late development and lack of exposure.

"If he makes the same rate of progress over the next couple years, he’s going to be a good player," Lon Kruger said. "I think some teams are intrigued by his upside. When you look at his progress … that’s what excites those people.

"If you start to make an impression, other teams want to see you because they don’t want to be left out of the loop."

Anthony’s predraft workout tour took him to Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Golden State, Utah, Boston and Miami before his Tuesday visit to Cleveland.

"I’ve been able to go to a lot of different cities and meet a lot of people and just do what I love playing basketball," said Anthony, who graduated in December with a degree in university studies. "It has been really enjoyable for me.

"I didn’t know going into it what was going to happen. I feel I put my best foot forward. I feel like I’ve done enough to get teams interested in me."

Anthony, who averaged 5.2 points per game, shot 59.7 percent from the field and had 109 blocked shots last season, said his clumsiness has been replaced by confidence.

Even if he is not picked today, he will be fielding free-agent offers after the draft.

"A lot of people have been really surprised by what I’ve been able to do," he said. "I definitely surprised myself with what I’ve been able to do."