VWH Campbell Jr., Post-Gazette Ales Chan, Seton Hill College: "I had never heard of [Seton Hill], but coach Van Eman recommended I give it a try because he knew coach Morocco could get the most out of me." Click photo for larger image.

Memphis Grizzlies scout Ray Jones walked the campus of Seton Hill University the other day with the twinkle in his eyes of a child walking into a new toy store for the first time. Jones has traveled all across the United States over the past 30 years in his never-ending search for players and thought he'd seen it all.

He was wrong.

"You know, I've been to Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania probably 1,000 times in my life," Jones said. "And I've never even heard of this place until recently. Never heard of it. This place is unbelievable, a real hidden gem. This campus is beautiful, the gym was beautiful, I'm just blown away by it all. What they've done here with this program is nothing short of a miracle."

The fact that Jones and numerous other NBA scouts have flocked to the tiny school just off Route 130 in Greensburg over the past few weeks suggests that Seton Hill's relative anonymity likely is a thing of the past.

Likewise, word about the Griffins' 7-foot-1 center Ales Chan as a prospect for the upcoming NBA draft also is spreading rapidly as more scouts see him work out. Those who saw him first probably left thinking they had a draft-day secret. Already Chan, 23, has worked out for five NBA teams, and at least 10 others would like to bring him to their facilities for workouts. Others have planned visits to Seton Hill.

Chan traveled to Phoenix to work out for the Suns last week. This week, he's visiting Washington, and he recently received an invitation to the prestigious NBA pre-draft camp June 8 in Chicago -- a sure sign he is viewed as a legitimate prospect.

VWH Campbell Jr., Post-Gazette Ales Chan has become a legitimate NBA prospect. Click photo for larger image.

That's amazing considering that until this year, Chan, a transfer from West Virginia University, was not even considered a prospect and the team he played for, Seton Hill, did not have a men's varsity basketball team. In fact, Chan almost was ready to give up on playing basketball in the United States until a mutual acquaintance hooked him up with Griffins coach Tony Morocco.

Chan arrived in the United States in 1999 after he was discovered playing for the Czech Junior National team by Lanny Van Eman, then an assistant at West Virginia. Chan first enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia because he couldn't speak English and needed help passing the SATs.

He then enrolled at WVU, but was awkward and not very skilled, so his career with the Mountaineers never took off. In three seasons, he played sparingly. When he saw that his senior year wouldn't be any different, he looked to make a change.

"I was at WVU and things just didn't go well for me there," said Chan, who weighs 270 pounds. "I didn't feel I got a chance to show what I could do,. I didn't feel the coaches had much faith in me, and that hurt my confidence. Then, I hurt my own chances because I had never seen a place like WVU's campus and I got caught up in the whole college/party lifestyle.

"I mean, I was raised by my mother who is very strict in the Czech Republic, and next thing you know I am on this big campus where all of the activity is centered around one street with like 30 bars on it. I never saw anything like it, and it wasn't good for me. I just didn't have any guidance or direction.

"Then when coach [Gale] Catlett resigned after my third year, they hired coach [John] Beilein. At that point, I was out of shape, skinny, not real committed, and he basically told me I didn't fit into their plans. I had never heard of [Seton Hill], but coach Van Eman recommended I give it a try because he knew coach Morocco could get the most out of me.

	VWH Campbell Jr., Post-Gazette Ales Chan, a 7-foot-1 center who played for Seton Hill University in Greensburg, receives instructions from Seton Hill coach Tony Morocco during a workout. Click photo for larger image.

"It has really been a lifesaver in more ways than just basketball."

When Chan arrived at Seton Hill in January, 2003, he weighed about 230 pounds and couldn't run up and down the court more than a few times without tiring. He also was admittedly weak and not very good, but he was the team's tallest player. That was a start.

Morocco, who has coached for nearly 40 years at various levels including in the CBA and Division I, made a commitment to work with Chan throughout the spring and summer to get him shape. Chan had to committ to get his act together, both in school and on the court.

"I made it simple," Morocco said. "I told him you can get with our program or you can get on the next jumbo jet to Europe. I saw the potential in him, but I also knew he needed some -- how do you say, tough love. This is certainly the place to excel if someone wants to, but we don't put up with the nonsense.

"This is a first-class university and a first-class program, and we expect to have first-class student-athletes. He wasn't one when he got here, but he became one very quickly."

Working out with Morocco was a big part of Chan's development into a pro prospect, but another important thing was the atmosphere at Seton Hill, a small Catholic-run university of about 1,600 students. Chan received more individual attention from teachers, academic advisors and tutors. There also was far less opportunity to find trouble. At first, he found the atmosphere restrictive, but eventually he realized it was the best place for him. His hard work paid off as he led the Griffins to a 20-8 record in their first season of men's varsity basketball. He averaged 17.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and was a first-team all-conference selection as well as an honorable mention NAIA All-American.

He wasn't considered much of a prospect when the season ended, but he kept working out with Morocco, who used his contacts around the NBA to get a few teams to give him a look. And the more Chan has worked out, the more teams have wanted to look.

In the past year, he has gained nearly 40 pounds of what Morocco calls "good weight," and added 50 pounds to his bench press and 100 to his squat. His size and strength, combined with the fact that he is an excellent shooter, he's very athletic and has nearly a 10-foot wing span, has many teams intrigued.

Chan's agent, Keith Kreiter, said he's amazed at how far has Chan's stock has risen in such a short period. But Kreiter also said the dearth of center prospects in this draft. has helped as has the fact that few of them have Chan's combination of size and shooting ability.

"Think about it: This is a kid from the Czech Republic who ends up at a tiny NAIA school, gets his act together and blooms into an NBA prospect," said Kreiter, who runs Edge Sports International., a sports management company.

"We went from having nobody knowing who we were in January and February to the point where we're hearing from teams every day, and they all want to bring him in for a workout and now he's going to Chicago for the pre-draft camp where all of the top prospects will be.

"Who in the world would ever think an NAIA team would produce an NBA player, much less one that is in its first-year in existence? He's clearly moved into the top 50 prospects in the draft and will only continue to rise. I really think he will be a second-round draft pick because he is right there in that group behind the first two or three centers in this draft."

NBA rules prohibit Jones or other scouts, from commenting specifically on Chan's performance or his draft prospects. But Jones obviously was impressed. Chan is scheduled to travel to Memphis to work out for the entire Grizzlies staff. He also said it is clear that Chan's decision to come to Seton Hill was the right one because few coaches could have done what Morocco did in a year's time.

"The workout I saw today, in terms of building skills and developing fundamentals is as good as there is," said Jones.

"Everything I wanted to see from [Chan], I saw in this workout today. And it is clear he's done it every day, not just when pro scouts are here, and that's why his skills have improved so much and will continue to improve. That's the best way to become an NBA prospect."