The NBA Wants Johnny Rogers After All : Two From Irvine, Two From Fullerton Among 9 PCAA Selections

There was a time when Johnny Rogers wondered if he really was the big-time basketball player those around him told him he was; if the success he enjoyed at La Quinta High School would continue when he left.

Tuesday, Rogers got a bit of confirmation from the National Basketball Assn. The former UC Irvine shooting star was picked in the Top 40. He was the second-round selection of the Sacramento Kings in the NBA draft, the 34th player selected overall.

Rogers, a 6-foot 10-inch forward who led UCI in scoring and rebounding last season, said the bright future that was once predicted for him is now much easier to fathom.

“It’s becoming more realistic at this point,” Rogers said by telephone Tuesday night. “Right now, I’m putting all of my efforts into it. I’m literally spending 8 to 10 hours preparing.

“I’m going to take it one step at a time. My goal right now is to make the roster. Hopefully, I’ll get in a situation where my goal will be to start contributing there.”

Rogers’ stock apparently improved earlier this month in a pre-draft camp for pro prospects in Chicago, and the Aloha College All-Star tournament held in Hawaii in May. Sacramento officials who saw Rogers play in both events give him a solid chance to make the club.

“He can play out on the floor and he can pass,” Kings Coach Phil Johnson told the Sacramento Bee. “He has an excellent chance of helping us. He’s going to make it very tough on some veterans.”

Rogers, who said he heard the news of his selection while lounging on a raft in the pool at his grandmother’s Anaheim home Tuesday afternoon, said he likes his chances at Sacramento. The Kings picked Harold Pressley, a 6-7 swing man from Villanova, in the first round, but selected guards in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.

“I’m really ecstatic about it,” Rogers said. “I’m surprised because they gave me no indication that they were interested. I was told by several people in the NBA that I’d be right up there in the top of the second round, but that was all speculation, so I had my doubts. I’m happy it turned out to be right.”

Tod Murphy, who established a career scoring record at Irvine last season, was a third-round selection of the Seattle SuperSonics, the 53rd player chosen. Murphy, a 6-9 forward, participated in the same postseason showcase events Rogers did, but may not have made quite the same impression.

“I thought it went fairly well,” Murphy said, “But seeing where I got drafted, I guess it didn’t go as well as I had thought. I’m satisfied, though. Being picked in the third round by Seattle is better than getting picked in the second round by a lot of teams.

“I’m excited about it. I’ll report to rookie camp (in July) and just hope for the best.”

Cal State Fullerton had two players selected--guard Kevin Henderson and forward Kerry Boagni.

Henderson was the 50th player chosen, selected in the third round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Entering the 1985-86 season, Henderson was considered one of the West Coast’s top guards and a solid NBA prospect. He suffered a broken foot Dec. 22, however, and missed the next seven weeks of the season. The injury may have prevented him from going higher in the draft.

Boagni, a 6-8 forward who came to Fullerton after two years at Kansas, was the fifth-round pick of the Utah Jazz. Boagni averaged 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in a rather sporadic senior season.

The Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. produced more draft choices than the rival Pacific 10. The PCAA had nine players chosen. The Pac-10 had three, and did not have a player selected until the fifth round.

Anthony Jones, a 6-6 swing man from PCAA-champion Nevada Las Vegas, was the first-round choice of the Washington Bullets. He was the 21st player chosen.