Imagine D'Angelo Russell on the floor with Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid

CHICAGO - He didn't measure as the biggest player at the NBA Draft Combine this week, but Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell might become a big piece of the 76ers future in the coming months.

The combo guard measured at 6-5 with a wingspan of just under 6-10. In his one season at Ohio State, the lefthanded Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5 assists.

"If the Sixers could get him and then start putting together a lineup that included him and [Nerlens] Noel and [Joel] Embiid, then perhaps, with Dario Saric coming over after next season, then you can really see something starting to happen," an NBA executive said. "I really like the way Russell's game will translate to the NBA. Obviously, being so young, he's going to have to get stronger, but that will come. The intangibles that he possesses make him a really exciting prospect."

Coach Brett Brown and general manager Sam Hinkie, along with Embiid, met with many players this week, including Russell, who has bulked up in recent years and weighs a solid 193 pounds.

"I was impressed with him all season," said the executive. "He continued to get better throughout the year. That he could do that during his first season in college says a lot."

Duke guard Quinn Cook was impressive during his game, without going out of his way to showcase himself. Instead of trying to impress by looking to score, Cook let his game come to him and was the steadying factor in his team's win. It was even more impressive, because Cook is considered, at best, a late second-round pick.

"I'm just a pass-first point guard," Cook said. "When I have my opportunities to score, I'll score. I hit a couple of shots, but I think I turned the ball over too much."

Nerves had a lot to do with it, Cook said. A little more than a month after playing and winning the NCAA title game, Cook said this was even more nerve-wracking.

"You don't see Larry Bird, Jerry West, Mitch Kupchak, all these GMs, you don't see them [at the national championship game]," Cook said. "Guys that you grew up seeing on TV, seeing on 'SportsCenter' and then you just see them. Tim Hardaway, Allen Houston, you see all these guys. At the Final Four, there's a lot of people, but you don't really see all the big dogs. It was nerve-wracking for me, but as soon as the ball went up, I felt fine."

Notre Dame swingman Pat Connaughton was still fielding questions about why he is pursuing a basketball career instead of baseball. The 6-5 wingman posted the highest vertical jump at 44 inches. That is the second-highest jump ever recorded at the combine. A pitcher, he was chosen in the fourth round by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2014 draft.

"A lot of the NBA teams didn't know I wanted to pursue basketball, and I'm trying to show them I do. I want to take basketball as far as I can," he said.

Connaughton led Notre Dame to an Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament this season before losing to Kentucky.

"It wasn't the way we wanted to end things, but now you have to look at the things that we did accomplish."

Besides his impressive showing in the vertical, Connaughton opened eyes with his aggressive defense and capable shooting from the outside. Mostly considered not to be a draft pick, he might have played himself into one this week.

One of the more impressive showings in Chicago came from Richaun Holmes. The 6-10 Bowling Green product pretty much blocked anyone and anything that came down the lane. The 243-pounder with the 7-2 wingspan is widely projected to be taken in the second round . . . The most impressive physical specimen of the weekend was Virginia small forward Justin Anderson. The 6-6, 231-pounder is built like a block of granite and has just 5 percent body fat . . . A familiar name on the floor was Wyoming product Larry Nance Jr. He has leaping ability like his father, who spent 13 seasons in the league. Nance Jr. suffers from Crohn's disease and needs medication to be able to play.

Blog: ph.ly/Sixerville