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He thought he'd hear his name towards the end of the first round, at the earliest.

When that didn't pan out, Joel Bolomboy figured for sure somebody would snatch him up swiftly in the second round.

As it turns out, Thursday night's NBA draft proved to be a longer wait than anticipated for perhaps the best pure big man Weber State has ever produced. But it was worth it, when it was finally over. When it was finally over, it was the Utah Jazz who put an end to the suspense, selecting him with the 52nd pick in the second round.

Bolomboy was surprised to still be available. The Jazz were surprised he was still on the board.

"I was just more than happy to hear my name called," Bolomboy said. "I was confident that I was going to go late in the first round, or early in the second. But this is all just God's plan — I just left everything in God's hands. I'm more than thankful for it, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to come back and play for the Utah Jazz."

Bolomboy's always been one to keep a low profile, and draft night didn't go any differently from that script. There was no elaborate party at his home in Texas, just his AAU coach, his high school coach, his girlfriend, some family and a few select friends.

There, Bolomboy just sat and waited.

Playing for a small school like Weber State can put a chip on anyone's shoulder. That chip, for Bolomboy, turned into a boulder on Thursday night. He's not shy in thinking he should've been taken earlier. After all, Bolomboy tested out as perhaps the most athletic big man in the draft. He runs the floor like a guard, has a phenomenal vertical leap and an improving skillset he's still developing after four years at Weber State.

"It's just extra motivation and extra drive to keep me going," Bolomboy said. "I have a lot of confidence in myself and my abilities, and I want to prove everybody wrong. I want to prove that I can play at the NBA level."

For Bolomboy — along with the two other players the Jazz drafted, Tyrone Wallace and Marcus Paige — that proving ground begins next week when they report to Salt Lake City for summer league. They will play with the Jazz in the new-school version of the Rocky Mountain Revue, before traveling to Las Vegas for the summer league there.

None of the three are considered locks to make Utah's regular-season opening night roster. But Bolomboy has the best shot because his rebounding, athleticism and energy brings a specific need. Still, Bolomboy's fate to a large degree hinges on what the Jazz front office does with the roster in free agency. His chances improve if Trevor Booker, an unrestricted free agent, signs with another team, which very well could happen. With seven point guards currently on the roster, Wallace and Paige face extremely long odds of sticking.

"What I have to do is keep working out every day and keep improving," Bolomboy said. "I have to be good at the stuff I'm good at, and I have to improve the other stuff as well."

Bolomboy said he's not a stranger from hard work and understands the arduous task ahead of him. He also knows he's a guy who's been beating the odds for most of his basketball career. He went from unheralded recruit to one of the best collegiate big men in the country over four years. He arrived at Weber State a skinny 6-foot-8 kid, and is leaving a 6-10, 240 pound man.

As good as Damian Lillard was for the Wildcats, people in the know could see he was destined for greatness the moment he stepped onto campus. Bolomboy was all potential as a college freshman. He turned that potential into reality.

"It's been amazing watching him," Weber State coach Randy Rahe said. "I don't think I've been around a player that's improved as much as Joel has, and all of that is due to hard work. He's been a relentless worker, and I couldn't be more proud of him."

Twitter: @tjonessltrib —

About Joel Bolomboy

• Selected by the Utah Jazz with the 52nd pick, making him the first local collegian to be drafted by the Jazz since 1984.

• The 6-foot-10 power forward averaged 17 ppg and 12 rpg as a senior at Weber State.

• Finished as the all-time leading rebounder for Weber State and the Big Sky Conference, where he was the league's Player of the Year.