By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Romain Sato's senior season at Xavier University has not fulfilled the All-America billing with which it began in November.

He did not take over David West's role as the dominant go-to-guy, and Sato has not been the player with the ball in his hands in the final moments of close games.

Despite that, he is averaging 15.9 points and 7.7 rebounds entering Xavier's (17-10, 8-6 Atlantic 10) final home game against George Washington Wednesday at Cintas Center.

National Basketball Association scouts have taken notice. They insist Sato, a 6-foot-5 guard, is still a viable draft prospect, though his stock might have slipped from the late first round into the early second round of the June 24 draft.

"We all know he can shoot," said a Western Conference scout. "Can he put it down and drive to the basket? That's what were looking for. A guy like Sato is a definite second-rounder. You can't go wrong with him. First round? That's still up in the air."

The difference between being drafted in the first and second round is measurable. First-round picks receive guaranteed three-year contracts. Teams are not required to sign second-round picks, and, in fact, several 2003 second-round players are not playing in the NBA this season.

In order to move into the first round, Sato will have to play well at the pre-draft camps. The Portsmouth Invitational is April 7-10 in Portsmouth, Va. The official NBA pre-draft camp is June 1-4 in Chicago. Sato might elect to play just at Chicago and not Portsmouth, which usually draws players trying to break into the draft.

"He's definitely a draftable player and probably will be a drafted player," said Chris Monter, editor of the Monter Draft News. "He's more a cusp-type player where (before) I would have thought for sure he'd be a first-round pick."

NBADraft.net, a web site devoted to the draft analysis, has Sato slated to go to the Phoenix Suns with the 35th overall pick, or fifth in the second round. Only three U.S. college seniors are predicted to go in the first round, which increasingly is filled with early college entries, high schoolers and foreign players.

For three years, NBA scouts watched Sato hit outside jumpers while West demanded a host of defenders down low.

"Indirectly (playing without West) probably helped him more than he thinks," said Dallas Mavericks scout Ray Dieringer. "Probably helped him improve his skills to play outside."

Scouts also have their sights on Sato's backcourt teammate, senior point guard Lionel Chalmers, who has averaged 18.4 points in the last eight games. The 6-foot Chalmers is a long shot to be drafted, but he is expected to make an impact at the camps and possibly the NBA summer league. ,

"I think he'll get into Portsmouth," an Eastern Conference Scout said. "He's a tough, strong kid, works hard to run a team. He just hasn't had such a heralded career. He might be a guy who could slip into the draft. I think a guy like Lionel will survive either way: He may not be an NBA guy, but (if not) he'll be a European kid dependable, tough."

Neither Sato nor Chalmers has talked about their draft prospects. Both are more interested in getting XU through its last two games and into the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. It would help their draft chances if Xavier can qualify for the NCAA Tournament, either as an at-large team or by winning the A-10 Tournament.

"Going into this season, (Sato) was a legitimate first-round pick," another Western Conference scout said. "How he plays in the postseason tournaments will have a direct effect on where he goes."

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com

Neil Schmidt contributed