Draft Madness Begins for Lacey

The college basketball world will take center stage next week as the NCAA tournament tips-off.

While the rest of the sports world waits in anticipation for the NCAA Tournament, Mystics General Manager and Head Coach Trudi Lacey is already experiencing her own bit of madness as she prepares for the 2011 WNBA Draft on April 11th.

Last Friday, Lacey left for a week-long scouting trip to get a first-hand look at some top draft prospects.

�It is always good to get out and see them in person,� said Lacey. �You have the opportunity to see how players interact with their teammates, their coaches, or how they react or don�t react to calls.�

The trip is one of the final pieces of draft preparation. Following her trip, Lacey plans on returning home, catching a few local tournament games, and joining college basketball fans in taking in the tournament.

�My job is to watch basketball games so I really can�t complain,� said Lacey.

While March Madness is an opportunity to see potential draftees, it will be just one piece in the puzzle in the draft scouting process. With constant adjusting of rankings, mock drafts and league wide roster analysis, Lacey and the rest of the Mystics� front office are making sure they are prepared for any and all situations that may come up on April 11th.

�Having the 11th pick and not knowing exactly who will be available makes it a little harder,� said Lacey. �We are trying to paint a picture and look at everybody and evaluate who the best player will be at 11. We�ve been working on the draft for months and months and we have a very good list of players that are going to be available in the draft.�

Although the Tournament provides Lacey with the opportunity of preparing for the draft, she does not deny that it brings out the fan in her and just like most fans there is one thing Lacey loves to see.

�I think about the underdog. I think everybody likes to see the underdog win. That�s what makes March fun,� said Lacey. �I really think it is a way of uniting people because you talk about brackets, teams, who�s the best conference or who�s the best player so it is really a fun time of year.�

While Lacey will surely enjoy this fun time of year, she knows there is one question she has to answer; Who is the best player for the Mystics when they go on the clock on April 11th?