Eddy Curry (52) sets to make a move against Tyson Chandler (32) during the first half of the High School Shootout.

NEW YORK -- Jerry Krause and his new assistant, B.J. Armstrong, sat in one section. Scouts from the Knicks, Detroit, Orlando and Milwaukee were also in the arena. Come to think of it, just about every NBA team was represented in the Kiel Center in St. Louis last Thursday night.

Watching a college tournament?

Nope, scouting three 7-foot high school seniors.

In what resembled a pre-draft camp, the stands were packed with NBA talent scouts when Eddy Curry, of Thornwood, Ill., Tyson Chandler, of Compton,, Calif., and DeSagana Diop, of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, were on the same floor.

With big men becoming more and more scarce in the NBA -- and the colleges expected to yield very little in the way of centers, once again -- almost every NBA team felt the need to send a rep to the high school games. Especially since all three could be making themselves available for the upcoming draft next June. If they all enter the pro ranks, it would be the biggest collection of high school centers to make the leap at one time.

"You won't get all these scouts together again until the pre-draft camps start next spring," said one of the attendees. "With the lack of centers we've got now, people go crazy if they see a 7-footer."

Apparently. Everyone came to see the Curry-Chandler matchup, but many left wanting to see more of Diop, the Senegalese big man who could teach Shaq a thing or two about making free throws. Described as raw, Diop impressed the scouts with his shot-blocking, rebounding, face-up skills and free-throw shooting. Some left wondering if he's really 19, as advertised. Others were concerned about his weight -- word is he's gained 40 pounds over the last year. "You have to wonder if he's a Stanley Roberts who'll balloon up on you," said one talent evaluator from the Atlantic Division. "He reminded me of that body type. But I want to see more of him, sure."

In the featured matchup, Curry's stock dropped, which could be key. Although he's announced that he's going to DePaul, more than a few scouts suspect he's said that just to get everybody to stop asking him where he's going to college. Curry reportedly had the flu, but several scouts still were shocked by how out of shape he was. Said one GM, who didn't want to be identified: "It was embarrassing for the kid. He's got a long way to go. I hope he does go to DePaul, because he needs to. In fact, none of the three could help you right now. If you want help now, Oliver Miller could help you more than these guys."

	Harrington

	Garnett

Yeesh. But since when has that prevented a Darius Miles or an Al Harrington or a Jonathan Bender from entering the pros right out of the scholastic ranks? All three were great high school players who weren't ready to play. And, apparently, still aren't ready, despite all the hype surrounding them. Hey, they all can't be Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett.

While Diop and Curry fall into the bulky, plodder category, Chandler is a Bender type, probably weighing no more than 240 pounds. He impressed scouts with his athleticism, flying all over the court, and by how he always had his head in the game. "He's a very talented kid," said an Eastern Conference GM. "He reminds me of Ralph Sampson, the way he's built. He's not nearly as talented as Ralph was. But he'd rather shoot from the perimeter than go inside, just like Ralph did. But that body needs work."

It's always something with those high school kids.

Rim Shots I
When Karl Malone passed Wilt Chamberlain to move into second place on the all-time scoring list, there was a lesson there for all young NBA players: Listen to your coach.

	Mailman

After Malone's rookie season, in 1985-86, his coach with the Jazz, Frank Layden, sat Malone down for a talk.

"He was at a crossroads," Layden said. "We could see he had a lot of God-given talent. He had that rare combination of quickness and power. But he was bulky and he couldn't shoot. The way I saw it, he could be just another good power forward in the league. Or, he could be something special."

So Layden told Malone if he wanted to be the latter, he had a lot of work to do on his shooting.

"Or, you're just going to be another palooka," Layden said. "You'll be nothing more than a journeyman."

So Malone went home to Summerfield, La., and dedicated himself to improving. Fifteen years later, Layden is surprised by a few things, including how long Malone has lasted.

"I also didn't think Karl had the work ethic," said Layden, now a Knicks' consultant. "But the very next year, you could tell the difference. In his focus. Now what happens? He starts to have success and, well, the rest is history."

There's a second lesson here.

"Karl did something a lot of players are not willing to do: He worked on his weakness," Layden said. "He decided that he was going to be something special. You know, very few of us live up to our potential. Even fewer exceed it. Karl exceeded his."

See what can happen when you listen?

	Carr

Rim Shots II