Kevin McHale monitored Rick Rickert's pre-draft workout at Target Center. McHale also has had a few days of exposure to Rickert since June 26, when the Timberwolves threw him a life jacket by drafting the 6-10 forward late in the second round.

"I'll give Rick credit," McHale said. "You have to be a unique individual to get beat up every day and remain confident in yourself."

Rickert spent much of the spring at a workout center. Veteran forward John Wallace was there, giving Rickert a daily lesson in the ways of the NBA. Then, Rickert took his visits to NBA teams for pre-draft workouts and reviews were consistently negative.

There was only one person more wrong about Rickert's NBA prospects than Rickert himself. That would be me.

A couple of months ago, my feisty colleague, Sid Hartman, was engaged in a furious campaign to convince Rickert to return to Minnesota for his junior season. McHale, the Timberwolves' basketball boss, and coach Flip Saunders were called on in Sid's columns to offer similar counsel to Rickert.

McHale and Saunders were ex-Gophers. It looked to me as though this was a conspiracy to give comfort to Gophers coach Dan Monson and keep Rickert from his rightful place in the NBA lottery.