FGCU guards Comer, Thompson ready for pros

With his four-year starting backcourt mate pouring sweat behind him during another unyielding skill session, FGCU senior Bernard Thompson spelled out the unknown future awaiting them both.

"It's going to be different, especially going to a new place," Thompson said of the first new basketball home in four years for himself and fellow star guard Brett Comer. "You have new coaches, new teammates. Everything changes.

"But I'm ready for it. I'm excited about the whole thing, seeing how everything is going to play out."

The transition to professionals has already begun for Comer and Thompson, the only members of FGCU's five-player senior class all-but-certain to play at the next level.

Also in the outgoing class are fifth-year frontcourt players Jamail Jones, Nate Hicks and Marcus Blake.

Comer and Thompson – the first two recruits of former FGCU coach Andy Enfield in 2011 in building the program that would become the only No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to reach the Sweet 16 – have already been weighing their options with potential agents.

Comer last week said he hoped to already have his decision made going into this week's Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational, which has helped launch the NBA careers of Rick Barry, Earl Monroe, John Stockton, Scott Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Tim Hardaway, Jimmy Butler and others.

"I want to have it done so I have somebody there kind of working for me instead of (me) having to worry about trying to meet all the agents the entire time I'm there," Comer said.

The 64-player tournament, now in its 63rd year, features three games a day Wednesday-Saturday, with NBA and international teams scouring the eight teams for those not already surefire draftees.

Last year's games were live-streamed online for the first time in tournament history.

Louisville's Wayne Blackshear and Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton are among those in the field, announced in full today.

Comer has played against at least a half-dozen of the participants while at FGCU, including this year against Massachusetts center Cady Lalanne, Iona forward David Laury, Ohio forward Maurice Ndour and Xavier center Matt Stainbrook.

Also among Comer's former foes in the field is Georgetown guard Jabril Trawick, now a teammate on their eight-man Norfolk Sports Club team. FGCU defeated Georgetown in the Round of 64 in the 2013 NCAA tournament.

(Editor's note: see below for Comer's teammates and the full field.).

"I'm really excited to get out there and show I can hold my own with guys like that," said Comer, who finished his career ranked 23rd on the NCAA all-time career assists lists in Division I with 845. That included 236 as a senior for a nearly 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (236/80).

"If I play well up there, the opportunities just keep getting bigger and larger for me."

Since receiving his invitation two weeks ago, Comer has spoken with several former Portsmouth participants, including former Mercer guard and FGCU rival Langston Hall.

The 2013-14 Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, who played professionally as a rookie in Italy, turned a strong Portsmouth appearance last year into a spot on the Miami Heat's summer league team.

"I'm not really trying to worry about that," Comer said of his professional prospects. "I'm just worrying about being ready to go up there and being in good shape and being able to run up and down."

Thompson, the FGCU career scoring leader and former A-Sun defender of the year, saw his scoring output as a senior dip to 13.8 points a game, his lowest average since scoring 11.5 a game as a freshman.

But his confidence and eagerness to play professionally remain strong.

"I think it did hurt me a little bit," the 6-3 guard from Conyers, Ga., said of his lower scoring output and professional prospects. "People were looking for me to be a more offensive threat this year. But I know if I get the chance, I know I'll show what I can really do.

"I was just trying to win," Thompson said of this season. "I was just trying to put my team in the best position to win games. If that had me playing defense better than offense, so be it."

While the 6-3, 202-pound Comer lacks elite athleticism, his preparation for Portsmouth has focused in part on expanding his shooting range and continuing to sharpen his shot.

"Doing a lot of ball handling, a lot of floaters and extending the range some more to the NBA line," he said. "Just work on everything from a little farther back."

"I know he's going to do good," Thompson said. "People are going to be talking about him a lot. It's not all about athleticism. He has a high IQ for the game. He has good body size. He can finish around the rim.

"Using his passing ability to create for others, he just makes the team better. That's what you look for in a point guard. Somebody's going to want that type of guy. He's a competitor. You want somebody that's going to compete every game, day in and day out."

Jones' professional future is unknown coming off ankle surgery to end his college career.

Hicks, a graduate student, has already been transitioning to a non-basketball career, while Blake, a walk-on, also has prepared himself for a business future should his playing options end.

But for Comer and Thompson, as inseparably linked the past four years as any college duo can be, their professional futures begin now.

"I'm excited," Comer said. "I was kind of ready to be done with college. What else could we really do here? We kind of made history, did things throughout four years that guys won't ever do that me and Bernard did. I think we're ready for that next level and next step in life."

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PORTSMOUTH INVITATIONAL

When: Wednesday-Saturday

Where: Portsmouth, Va.

Who: FGCU point guard Brett is among 64 college seniors participating in the 63-year-old tournament, which has helped launch the NBA careers of Rick Barry, Earl Monroe, John Stockton, Scott Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Tim Hardaway, Jimmy Butler and others.

Format: Eight teams play three games daily in front of NBA and international scouts.

Online: portsmouthinvitational.com (games live streamed last year)

Team: Comer was placed on the team sponsored by the Norfolk Sports Club

NORFOLK SPORTS CLUB

Coaches: Mike Head & Mark Butts

NBA assistant coach: Grant Long

G 4 Ryan Harrow, Georgia State, 6-2, 160, Two-time Sun Belt Conference 1st Team

G 12 Levi Randolph, Alabama, 6-5, 208, 2nd Team SEC and Academic All-American

G 15 Brett Comer, FGCU, 6-3, 202, 6th in nation with 7.2 assists per game

C 20 David Kravish, California, 6-10, 240, Cal's all-time leader in blocks

F 22 Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa, 6-8, 240, Missouri Valley Conf. Player of the Year

G 23 Jabril Trawick, Georgetown, 6-5, 220, Led Hoyas shooting 41% from three

G 25 Rayvonte Rice, Illinois, 6-4, 230, 1,934 career points at Illinois/Drake

F 35 Kendall Gray, Delaware State, 6-10, 240, MEAC Player & Def. Player of the Year

PORTSMOUTH INVITATIONAL FIELD

Player, position, school, team

J.J Avila F Colorado State

Wayne Blackshear G Louisville

Askia Booker G Colorado

Julius Brown G Toledo PP

Mike Caffey G Long Beach State MD

Darius Carter F Wichita State SS

Kenny Chery Guard Baylor SS

Michael Cobbins Forward Oklahoma State PP

Karl Cochran Guard Wofford RB

Brett Comer Guard FGCU NSC

Pat Connaughton Guard Notre Dame PP

Will Cummings Guard Temple PP

Bryce DeJean-Jones Guard Iowa State K&D

Ousmane Drame Forward Quinnipiac PSC

Traveon Graham Guard VCU CB

Kendall Gray Forward Delaware State NSC

KT Harrell Guard Auburn PP

D'Angelo Harrison Guard St. John's RB

Ryan Harrow Guard Georgia State NSC

Corey Hawkins Guard UC Davis SS

LaDontae Henton Forward Providence MD

Jelani Hewitt Guard Georgia Southern CB

Darrun Hilliard Guard Villanova SS

Dustin Hogue Forward Iowa State PP

Andre Hollins Guard Minnesota RB

Richaun Holmes Forward Bowling Green PP

Juwan Howard, Jr. Forward Detroit SS

Tyler Kalinoski Guard Davidson SS

David Kravish Center California NSC

DaVonte Lacy Guard Washington State RB

Cady Lalanne Center Massachusetts SS

David Laury Forward Iona CB

Denzel Livingston Guard Incarnate Word K&D

Mikh McKinney Guard Sacramento State MD

Yanick Moreira Center Southern Methodist RB

Le'Bryan Nash Forward Oklahoma State RB

Stefan Nastic Center Stanford PP

Maurice Ndour Forward Ohio K&D

Youssou Ndoye Center St. Bonaventure PSC

D.J. Newbill Guard Penn State CB

Saah Nimley Guard Charleston Southern PSC

Gabriel Olaseni Center Iowa MD

Royce O'Neale Forward Baylor PSC

JayVaughn Pinkston Forward Villanova RB

T.J. Price Guard Western Kentucky PSC

Levi Randolph Guard Alabama NSC

Rayvonte Rice Guard Illinois NSC

Wesley Saunders Guard Harvard CB

Jordan Sibert Guard Dayton PSC

Joshua Smith Center Georgetown K&D

Matt Stainbrook Center Xavier SS

Jarvis Summers Guard Mississippi K&D

TaShawn Thomas Forward Oklahoma K&D

Marcus Thornton Forward Georgia RB

Marcus Thornton Guard William & Mary MD

Jabril Trawick Guard Georgetown NSC

Dan Trist Forward Lafayette MD

Ralston Turner Guard North Carolina State CB

Seth Tuttle Forward Northern Iowa NSC

Corey Walden Guard Eastern Kentucky PSC

Brad Waldow Forward Saint Mary's MD

Julian Washburn Forward Texas-El Paso K&D

Amir Williams Center Ohio State CB

Jarvis Williams Forward Murray State PSC