On the eve of the 2011 NBA Draft, Kyrie Irving relaxed on a sofa in the lobby of the player’s hotel. Enes Kanter stood on the other side of the room, texting on his phone. The players received little attention from the other guests, and were able to go about their business in peace.

Then, Jimmer Fredette hopped off of the escalator. He was immediately surrounded by autograph seekers and camera-wielding fans. Irving and Kanter – two of the top three picks in this year’s draft – watched on as Fredette signed every item and took photographs with every fan.

The scene was similar at the Prudential Center the next evening. Fans who arrived at the arena early started a ‘JIM-MER’ chant hours before the draft. There were plenty shirts and signs in the crowd dedicated to the Glenn Falls native, and when the Sacramento Kings selected Fredette with the tenth overall pick, the masses erupted.

That’s what happens when a player averages 28.9 points, emerges as one of the most exciting college basketball players in recent memory and has a one-name moniker that has already become a part of pop culture – see “Teach Me How to Jimmer” – before he’s even logged a single minute in the NBA.

“I think a lot of it just has to do with this last year in college, how things exploded and the media just really took a hold of our season and myself,” Fredette said. “It continued because everyone was really anxious and didn’t know where I was going to go. I was all over the draft boards, and people were just excited to see about it, as was I. I think that was a big part of it.”

“Certainly it’s a unique situation,” Kings head coach Paul Westphal added. “I’ve been in some situations where some of my players have had cult followings before. It’s often part of the NBA. If it continues, it means you’re really good. The main thing is, I know Jimmer has not been caught up in over-valuing that – you appreciate the fans and the adulation, and it’s something special. We want him to embrace that, and we want the team to embrace that. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t back it up. You’re focus is the job, and the circus is the circus. I know Jimmer is very good at separating that. I take it as a big plus.”

Fredette has often been compared to Tim Tebow, who found himself in a similar situation prior to last year’s NFL Draft. He was the fan favorite, legendary college player and household name, but there were many questions surrounding his future in the pros.

Many of the same questions are being asked about Fredette. How will his game translate to the next level? Is he athletic enough to be a dominant scorer in the NBA? Will he be a defensive liability?

Sacramento had many of the same questions and the organization was split internally about whether or not to pick Fredette. Ownership wanted him, but management wanted to go in a different direction, possibly addressing the team’s need at small forward.

However, with the current state of the Kings, they simply couldn’t pass on the opportunity to add a big-name player who will help generate interest and increase ticket sales. It didn’t take long for the Kings to start selling Fredette, with his face plastered all over the Kings’ website just hours after the draft concluded.

“I don’t think he’s a stranger to anybody who follows basketball,” Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie said. “He’s one of the most exciting players in college basketball the last couple of years, and we felt very fortunate to be able to draft him on Thursday and look forward to seeing him come in and become part of our team and engage with our players, our fans and the community. I think you’ll really enjoy him as both a player and a person.”

Expectations will be high in Sacramento, but Fredette can’t wait to don the purple jersey.

“It’s a great moment for me and for my family, and for the Sacramento Kings organization,” Fredette said. “Hopefully their fan base is excited because I’m really excited to get out there and start the season with them and have a great year. I’m looking forward to it.”

The Kings hope that addition of Fredette will help keep the team in Sacramento and further along the development of a new entertainment and sports complex in the city.

“That’s what we’re here for,” Fredette said. “We’re here to play basketball for the Sacramento Kings and to hopefully bring a great fan base to this arena. Hopefully they’re really excited about it because we’re extremely excited to be here, and that’s the plan – to be here playing basketball for a long time.”

Whether or not Fredette will live up to the hype remains to be seen, but he is in a good situation. He’ll become one of the cornerstones of the franchise, have every opportunity to continue his star-studded career right where he left off in college and remain a fan favorite.

‘Jimmer’ has already become a part of our nation’s vocabulary, as both a noun and verb. Now that Fredette is playing on basketball’s biggest stage, his legend will only continue to grow.

Goudelock Turns Dream Into Reality: “With the forty-sixth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select Andrew Goudelock from the College of Charleston.”

The moment that Goudelock heard these words, he was overcome with emotion. Surrounded by his closest family and friends, he broke down in tears as his lifelong dream of being drafted finally became reality.

In a matter of seconds, he went from being the ultimate underdog from the Southern Conference to being the newest member of one of the most storied and recognized franchises in sports.

“It’s crazy,” Goudelock told HOOPSWORLD. “It’s a surreal feeling. There were so many things going through my head, and that moment was a long time coming. I just went from watching Kobe Bryant film and everything else to being on the same team as him. It’s weird, but it’s definitely a good turn of events to say the least. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“I’ve always been a fan of the Lakers,” he added. “I actually thought they were going to win it all this year. Before the playoffs started, I really thought they had a good chance. I’ve been watching the Lakers since I was little.”

{AUTHOR_BOX}The Lakers started to take notice in Goudelock after he shined in one of their workouts during the pre-draft process. He showed why he’s considered one of the best shooters in this class and Los Angeles felt that they may have found a second-round steal.

“It was probably one of my best workouts – definitely one of my top five,” Goudelock said. “I shot the ball really well and it was a really good workout for me. I did well against the competition and I won all but one of the one-on-one games we played. I thought I played well and shot the ball well. I did what I went there to do.”

When the Lakers were on the clock with the forty-first pick, Goudelock thought that he might hear his name called.

“The first time they came up, I thought it might happen,” he said. “But once they passed on me, I didn’t know. I was a little worried. Then, when they came up the second time, I was just happy to hear my name called to tell you the truth.”

Goudelock’s role in Los Angeles will consist of knocking down open shots and providing a spark off of the bench.

“They talked to me and they basically want me to come in and play my game,” Goudelock said. “They want me to be able to come in and knock down open shots, play defense, compete hard and have that winning mentality. They want me to play my game so it’s not going to be a big transition for me. I’m not going to go out there and try to take a bunch of shots or do anything outside of my skill set.”

Now that he has been drafted, the next step is flying to California and competing in the Lakers free agent camp. Teams often have their rookies work out with the undrafted prospects and veteran free agents that they’re evaluating.

“I’m going to be in playing in the free agent camp with free agents as well as some of the undrafted guys,” Goudelock said. “The camp runs for three days, and then after that, we’ll see what happens with the lockout situation.”

Even though he has been drafted and is now a member of the Lakers family, Goudelock knows that this is just the first step for him and he’s nowhere near satisfied yet.

“I still have the same mentality and I know that I haven’t done anything yet,” Goudelock said. “I’m not on top of the world. I’m on a really good team, but I still have a lot to prove and I’m going to keep working hard.”

His work ethic and mindset are what got Goudelock to this point and he won’t abandon them now.

After all, Kobe Bryant demands hard work and mental toughness from his teammates.

Raptors Extend Qualifying Offer to Weems: The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Sonny Weems.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its rights of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent it must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal in favor of the NBA team for which the player last played.

Weems averaged career highs in points (9.2) and minutes (23.9) in 59 games in 2010-11. In a career-best 28 starts, he posted averages of 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 29.8 minutes. He scored in double figures 27 times last season.

NBA Chats: HOOPSWORLD has two NBA chats today, starting Anthony Macri, who will host his weekly NBA chat at 2 p.m. EST. Coach Macri is a Development Coach that works with NBA players to enhance and expand their games. HOOPSWORLD editor Jason Fleming will host his weekly chat tonight at 8 p.m. EST. These chats fill up fast so getting in early always helps your odds. You can always find the next NBA Chat here: Upcoming HOOPSWORLD Chats.