Despite average stats, Mullens size, athleticism intrigues

That's why Mullens said he couldn't bypass the opportunity to enter Thursday's NBA draft after just one year at Ohio State.

"I knew I was one and done," he said after a workout with the Hawks last week. "Sometimes the obvious thing is staring you in the face and you can't hesitate."

Even as a project, Mullens probably won't be on the board when the Hawks pick at 19. Connecticut's 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet is expected to go in the top five and Mullens is the only other 7-footer expected to be drafted in the first round. Mullens expected he will have worked out for a dozen teams in the weeks leading up to the draft.

"There's not a tougher position to fill in our league right now," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said after watching Mullens work out. "There just aren't enough true big men out there anymore. So if you get your hands on one that you think has a chance to be a big-time player, you have to think long and hard about passing him up."

Which would explain how a player with Mullens' rather pedestrian college credentials is so coveted. He only averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Buckeyes, though he did shoot an impressive 64 percent from the floor in 33 games college games.

But he was hardly dominant. He started just twice and only played 20 minutes per game.

"It was a tough transition for me," Mullens admitted. "I had different expectations for myself. Things didn't happen the way I expected. But I'm not going to beat myself up about it (and) worry about what's already done. Just being in this position now, that's what I'm focused on now."

Mullens said he grew up poor and he and his mother and five half-siblings had it difficult time in the neighborhoods in the shadow of the Ohio State campus in Columbus. There were times when they lived in shelters and relied on local churches and shelters for assistance, including hot meals and beds.

"It's all about hard work for me going forward," he said. "I'm not wasting any time. Wherever I [get drafted], I'm coming in ready to go to work."

He did not disappoint when he worked out for the Hawks, demonstrating he was every bit as athletic as advertised. And he showed off a shooting range beyond the 3-point line, which caught Hawks assistant coach Larry Drew by surprise.

"You always have to really look at these kids very closely," said Drew, who ran Mullens' workout. "You have to do a lot of projecting and see if their skill level translates. But you can see the potential. He needs to get in the weight room. And he's grow and mature.

"But he's got all the skills. He's got that soft touch you like in a big man on his shot, and that's what really struck me. Seven-footers like him don't come along very often."