ISU senior Martin Rancik hopes to increase his National Basketball Association draft chances in the Nike Desert Classic.

Rancik is among a handful of NBA hopefuls who will participate in the event which is held May 1-6 at the ASU/Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz.

The Nike tournament is held for the top collegiate athletes to showcase their skills to NBA scouts that will be in attendance. The players will be split into teams that will compete in games from May 3-5, hoping to get their name called in the draft on June 27.

Rancik impressed scouts with his play last weekend at the Portsmouth Invitational where he was the third-best scorer with 19.5 points per game. He also averaged 10 rebounds at Portsmouth.

Former Cyclone Kelvin Cato also competed at the Nike Desert Classic. He was named MVP of the Classic in 1997.