BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Through most of the afternoon, the contact was gentle. Danny Fortson was visiting the New Jersey Nets to introduce himself as a prospect for the coming NBA draft, and 250-pound veteran forward Kenny Gattison was there to drill him, guide him, present token resistance.

As Fortson's workout neared an end, though, he was asked to challenge Gattison in a little one-on-one. Fortson went lightly at first, figuring it would be unwise to hurt somebody who was basically volunteering to help him. From the stands, though, he heard this instruction from J.O. Stright, his guardian:

"Dan, this is for real."

Thereafter, he played like it.

Fortson's collision with the real world, after three years as a dominating forward at the University of Cincinnati, becomes most powerful starting today, when he is scheduled to visit the Vancouver Grizzlies for his third tryout in anticipation of the June 25 draft.

Most of Fortson's workouts will take place in the two weeks before the draft. This will be one of the busiest fortnights of Fortson's life, but it also could be the most lucrative.

Fortson spent the past three days in Chicago going through interviews and physical exams following the close of the league's annual pre-draft camp. Like most players figured to be among the early selections in the draft, Fortson did not compete at the camp.

Instead, he will perform in individual workouts for the Grizzlies and several other pro teams. These trials may have as much to do with his position in the June 25 draft as the 100 games he played for UC. He already has visited with Cleveland Cavaliers, who choose 13th, as well as the Nets, who are seventh. Coach John Calipari said he was impressed. After his tryouts in New Jersey and Cleveland, Fortson went back to the Nets for two weeks, training with strength coach Ray Oliver.

"The Cleveland workout went real well," Fortson said. "I did a lot of shooting, got to show some skills."

In Vancouver and the cities that follow, Fortson again will be asked to demonstrate he can shoot consistently from the perimeter, move with the ball to create offensive opportunities and compete with NBA-caliber athletes. Stright said Fortson will work out for every team in the top half of the first round, except San Antonio, Philadelphia, Toronto and possibly Boston.

The Spurs are certain to draft Wake Forest center Tim Duncan with the No. 1 overall selection. The 76ers are looking for someone taller than Fortson. The Raptors, choosing ninth, have built a team of lean, dynamic leapers, and he would not fit their profile. Stright is not certain whether Boston, which holds the third and sixth picks, will want a look at Fortson.

Vancouver, though, selects fourth and could add Fortson to a young front line that features Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. Denver is desperate for a point guard and will look at Antonio Daniels of Bowling Green and Chauncey Billups of Colorado, but Stright was told Fortson will be the one frontcourt player the Nuggets will interview.

They said, "We're not sure if we can afford to pass him up," Stright said. "There are no certainties other than the No. 1 pick. With all the publications you can read, I've seen everything from the top six to the top 18. The way I look at it, he's going to go anywhere from fourth to 13th. That's my guess. Obviously, there's some bias in there, but that's the uncertainty of it."

Fortson has grown weary of hearing the knocks on his game, but he's beginning to enjoy the process of disproving them. For his first trick, he needed only to stand up straight. In his bare feet, Fortson was measured by the Nets at 6-7ì, which makes him a 6-8 power forward when he's wearing sneakers. One of the primary concerns cited by NBA scouts is whether someone his size could thrive without great jumping ability, but there are many power forwards in the league this size.

"Everybody was thinking I'm 6-5, 6-4, couldn't shoot past the free-throw line," Fortson said. "I knew that was going out." The Cavs and Nets spent little time looking at Fortson's ability to score inside, instead asking that he step to the three-point line and prove he can hit 20-foot jumpers. A number of pro personnel experts, including vice president Billy Knight of the Indiana Pacers, question whether Fortson can consistently shoot outside, although he often operated on the perimeter toward the end of his career with the Bearcats.

"I like Dan. I think he would add a toughness and an effort level," Calipari said. "Obviously, there are questions marks in the pro people's minds, but he's always stepped beyond that. I think he's matured a ton as a person and he's matured on the court, even though I think he's a long way away still.

"He's always played one foot away from the basket in college. You don't want to take away that part of the game, but you better also add the perimeter part. The great thing is, only one team has to like you. You can have 10 teams that hate you, but only one has to like you."

Postseason

WILLIAMS REPORT FORTHCOMING June 7, 1997
UC OPENS IN NIT vs. DETROIT May 23, 1997
CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT DEC. 13 May 20, 1997
CHICAGO-AREA FORWARD TO SIGN May 15, 1997
EX-BC GUARD MAY CONSIDER UC May 14, 1997
UC MAY GET FINNISH FORWARD May 6, 1997
UC BROKE NCAA RULES, DOCUMENTS SHOW May 3, 1997
WILLIAMS' LAWYER SAYS UC 'BEATING A DEAD HORSE' May 2, 1997
TRANSFER POSSIBILITY HELPS ENSURE WILLIAMS' COOPERATION April 30, 1997
UC DENIES REPORTS LOYER WAS SUSPENDED April 30, 1997
UC PRESIDENT: CAUTION NEEDED IN WILLIAMS PROBE April 29, 1997
SNOOP O'DELL COULD'VE FOUND BETTER WAY Daugherty column, April 29, 1997
HUGGINS' RIFT WITH O'DELL ERUPTS April 26, 1997
BLIZZARD PICKS UMASS OVER UC April 25, 1997
NORTH IDAHO GUARD TO SIGN April 21, 1997
UC GETS SPRING VISITS FROM BLIZZARD, JONES April 19, 1997
UC LOSES OUSLEY TO MEMPHIS April 15, 1997
JUCO PAIR COMMITS TO UC April 14, 1997
BRANNEN: NO FOOTBALL THIS YEAR April 11, 1997
KAMBALA PICKS UNLV OVER UC April 10, 1997
PREP STAR NARROWS LIST TO 3 April 7, 1997
WILLIAMS SAYS HE'S RETURNING April 5, 1997
BRANNEN WALKS ON FOOTBALL SQUAD April 4, 1997
FORTSON: 'I KNOW I CAN PLAY' April 2, 1997
RECRUITING TAKES ON URGENCY April 2, 1997
WOODEN SELECTORS SPURN FORTSON April 2, 1997
FORTSON LEAPS TO NBA April 1, 1997
BEST GUESS: FORTSON'S GONE, AND HUGGINS COULD GO, TOO March 17, 1997

NCAA Tournament stories

MARCH 16, 1997
IOWA STATE 67, UC 66
UC LOSS NOT ALL SURPRISING Daugherty column
BRANNEN BECOMES SCORER

MARCH 15, 1997
IDENTITY CHECK FOR UC
IOWA STATE GETS ASSISTS FROM HOLLOWAY

MARCH 14, 1997
UC 80, BUTLER 69
IOWA STATE IS TALL ORDER
20 MINUTES ENOUGH FOR UC THIS TIME Daugherty column

MARCH 13, 1997
UC'S FORTUNES HINGE ON FORTSON
NCAA LETTER LED TO WILLIAMS INQUIRY
WILLIAMS PUNISHED BEFORE TRIAL Daugherty column
HUGGINS TO OSU? A COMMON QUERY

MARCH 12,1997
GUARD PROBLEMS PLAGUE BEARCATS
HUGGINS QUOTES GILLEN ON OSU JOB

MARCH 11, 1997
FORTSON ALL-AMERICAN
WILLIAMS PREPARES TO START
MARSHALL HAS THE MUSCLE TO CHECK FORTSON

MARCH 10, 1997
UC, XU ON COLLISION COURSE IN SWEET 16
LET FORTSON PLAY, REFS - IT'S HIS TIME Daugherty column
OPPONENT DOESN'T MATTER TO BEARCATS
BUTLER ROSTER HAS LOCAL FLAVOR