Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Chris Taft whoops it up during a Panthers game last season. Will he be as excited during the NBA draft Tuesday? Click photo for larger image. THE DRAFT What: NBA draft, consisting of two rounds. When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Where: Madison Square Garden, New York. TV: ESPN.

Pitt forward Chris Taft will find out Tuesday where his basketball future will take him as the NBA will hold its annual draft. He may have to wait a little longer than he originally thought, however, before he hears his name.

That's not a problem, according to his agent, Billy Ceisler, who has been through enough drafts to understand that pre-draft speculation and rumor is exactly that -- speculation and rumor.

Nevertheless, it is an eye-opener that Taft, once believed to be a lottery pick or, perhaps, a top five pick, has slid to the point where he isn't one of the 15 players invited by the league to sit in the Green Room at Madison Square Garden and be introduced when his name his called.

"That doesn't move me either way. There are a lot of ways you can look at not being invited," Ceisler said. "Some may be invited who fall lower than expected and a few who weren't invited get drafted earlier than ones who were.

"I think Chris will be one of those, but our goal isn't to be picked at a certain number, it is all about finding the right team. We know he's a first-rounder, and his focus has been on doing his job, which is to work out well and keep a good attitude.

"He has done his job and has put himself in a good position to be drafted high."

Ceisler reiterated the fact that the most important thing for Taft or any player isn't what number he is picked at, but ,rather, which team picks him.

"It is all about finding the right fit," Ceisler said. "I've talked to Chris about this, and he completely understands and agrees. I asked him 'would you rather be [Pistons forward] Darko Milicic or [Mavericks forward] Josh Howard?" One guy was the second pick in the [2003] draft and has played like one game in two years. The other guy was the last pick in the first round, but he's played a lot, become a budding star and is poised to sign a huge second contract after next season [first-round picks get a guaranteed three-year contract for their first deal].

"That's the goal, get in the first round to a team that gives you a chance to play right away in a system that you can thrive in.

Taft has had 12 workouts thus far, and Ceisler said 11 went very well. He said the frustrating thing is that the one which didn't go well (Toronto) is the only one that seems to be written about in newspapers and draft-related web sites.

He said Taft has proven his ability and his potential, but is getting a bit of a bad rap because he played at a high-profile program and didn't consistently live up to preseason expectations.

"If Chris were a European kid, he'd be the first pick in the draft no doubt," Ceisler said. "He's shown at every workout that he is the most athletic power forward in the draft. You can't lose site of that. People need to remember he is only four or five months older than a lot of the high school kids, so it is all still ahead of him."

Taft's size -- 6 feet 11 -- and his athleticism are the attributes which will keep him in the first round, likely somewhere between picks 14 and 25. Questions about his intensity and his work ethic seem to be holding him back.

Part of that stems from last season at Pitt, when he was dominant at times while looking every bit like a big-time NBA player. Other times, particularly down the stretch and in the postseason, he was passive and played as if he were a disinterested.

"I think the key with Chris Taft is consistency," said one scout. "He probably should have came out last year because I don't think he did anything to improve himself at Pitt this past year. If you are going to go back to school, you should do that, go back to school and work on your game. I don't know that he did that with quite the passion he needed to.

"But his potential is enormous."

The scout said most people expect Taft to become a more consistent player with maturity and better coaching at the NBA level. He also agreed with Ceisler that a player with Taft's size and athleticism has a chance to become a superstar in the NBA for a lot of years -- providing he commits himself to the game.

Ceisler said he has no doubt Taft will become a superb NBA player because he has a great work ethic and an intense desire to fulfill his potential.

"People in the know understand he is the power forward in this draft with the most upside potential," Ceisler said. "He has an incredible future. The team that drafts him is going to get lucky."