Last Thursday, Diante Garrett was surrounded by family and coaches as he watched the 2011 NBA Draft, waiting to hear his name called.

It never happened. Both rounds went by, and although Garrett’s name was eventually second on Jay Bilas’ “Best Available” board, nobody selected him.

It probably should have been clear that it just was not Garrett’s night when the Lakers used the 56th overall pick to select a guy named Chukwudiebere Maduabum, a virtual unknown even to draft experts, while Garrett, one of the top point guards in the Big 12 last season, was still available.

Garrett ranked in the top-100 in the nation last season in points (17.1), assists (6.1) and steals (1.7) per game his senior season at Iowa State, earning him All-Big 12 Second Team honors.

Despite the setback, Garrett’s hopes of following in the footsteps of his father Dick Garrett and becoming an NBA player are still far from dashed. He has remained optimistic and even says that not getting drafted can be a positive.

“It can be a blessing in disguise,” Garrett said. “What happened in the draft happened, and I just have to use it as a positive and move forward.”

“Early in the draft, a lot of teams are drafting for need, but it gets down toward the end. A lot of teams are just drafting the best player available, and a lot of times, that puts a guy in a bind if he goes somewhere and there’s four guys already under contract,” added Dick Garrett. “This way as a free agent, you’re given the opportunity to kind of pick and choose where your best chances are.”

Garrett has already begun to test free agency, and has found that there is no shortage of NBA teams that are willing to give him a chance, naming the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards, among others, as teams that are interested in his services.

“I’m going to talk it over with my agent and my parents to see what the best option is for me this coming week,” Garrett said.

Garrett’s plans right now are to travel to Phoenix in this week to attend their mini-camp and compete to be invited back to camp, but a potential lockout could throw a wrench in Garrett’s plans.

The NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire July 1, and barring the forging of a new labor agreement (which seems increasingly unlikely) the NBA will be on the path to an NFL-esque lockout over revenue sharing.

What this all means for undrafted free agents like Garrett is that there is a good possibility when July 1 rolls around that the NBA teams he needs to try out for will be forced to shut their doors.

“We just told Diante to go to these camps and play as well as you can play, and let the chips fall where they may,” Dick Garrett said. “It’s just a case where you have to keep your head up, and sometimes things don’t go your way and it’s just another hurdle to get over.”