New York ? Two of the three former Jayhawks who may hear their names called at tonight’s NBA Draft are in the Big Apple this week, soaking up the scene.

The third is in his hometown with his family.

While likely lottery picks Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry dip and duck their way around Manhattan and will be in the Green Room at Madison Square Garden for tonight’s draft, point guard Sherron Collins awaits his fate in Chicago.

Though Collins did not make the trip to New York — most projected second-rounders don’t attend — Aldrich said he did not need to be with his former teammate to know what was going through his mind.

“I haven’t personally talked to him lately,” Aldrich said. “But knowing Sherron like I have for the last three years, I know he’s excited and he just wants that opportunity to extend his game to the NBA.”

Most mock draft sites expect Collins to get that chance, but many of them believe it will be as a second-round pick. Though he leaves KU as the winningest player in school history, an unquestioned leader and one of the toughest guards in the draft, Collins’ lack of NBA height (he’s 5-11) and excess weight (he’s fluctuated between 207 and 229 pounds the last two months) have many believing he may slip into the second round. Some have wondered whether he’ll be taken at all.

Aldrich and Henry didn’t make any projections about where any of the three would go, but Aldrich said with certainty that he wouldn’t bet against his pal.

“I think he’s going to be a great point guard,” Aldrich said of Collins. “He’s a hard-nosed guy who just wants to go out there and compete and he’s a great leader.”

Tonight’s draft begins at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on Sunflower Broadband channels 33 and 233.