With the NBA draft coming up on Wednesday, former ISU stars Jamaal Tinsley and Martin Rancik hope the NBA doesn’t forget about them.

In a draft expected to be dominated by power forwards and high school hopefuls, the NBA could be getting forgetful.

Tinsley, a 6-foot-3-inch guard from Brooklyn, NY, probably has the best chance of being remembered. He was the Big 12 Player of the year for the 2000-2001 season, Big 12 Conference First Team and on the Big 12 All Defensive Team.

Tony Harvey, associate head basketball coach for University of Missouri, likes Tinsley’s chances.

“I think Jamaal has a better chance than maybe Martin. I mean, I like [both Tinsley and Rancik], but I truly believe that Tinsley has the opportunity to make an impact,” Harvey said.

Tinsley, rated as the number one guard in the country by many standards, is projected to be drafted as high as eleventh or as low as twenty fifth by many publications.

Paul Shirley, former ISU forward, said Tinsley will probably be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round.

“From what I’ve heard, Tinsley will probably go 10th to 15th. Boston has the 10th and 11th pick, so that’s a likely spot,” Shirley said.

He said Tinsley would probably like go to a New York team, but it is unlikely.

“I bet he’d like the Nets or the Knicks, because he’s from New York, and that would be closer to home for him,” he said.

Shirley sees big things for Tinsley in the NBA.

“Tinsley will probably be a player like Mark Jackson, a creator who can score off the dribble and make the players around him better,” he said.

For Rancik, the number of high profile forwards in the draft have hurt his chances. Rancik is projected to go late in the draft, if he’s drafted at all. That doesn’t mean that Rancik has no future in the NBA.

“Rancik could eventually raise some eyebrows,” Harvey said. “He may not get drafted, but he could move around and impress some people. Rancik could be a journeyman.”

No matter what happens in the draft, Rancik and Tinsley, like all other NBA hopefuls, will have to improve their skills if they hope to become stars in the NBA.

Shirley said both players could better their chances if they work on some things.

“[Tinsley] will probably have to shoot better, and he could work on his size and strength,” Shirley said.

Shirley said Rancik will need to work on his perimeter game, which he didn’t have a chance to do as much as his career at Iowa State progressed.