Glen Davis, Marcus Thornton, Brandon Bass and Garrett Temple were all left waiting on draft night while at least 32 NBA teams bypassed selecting the former LSU basketball stars. Eventually they were drafted or ended up signing with teams and proved the doubters wrong. Davis has already competed in two NBA finals, winning one, and Bass contributed for New Orleans and Dallas before landing a four-year, $18 million contract last summer                  with Orlando.Thornton became a budding star during his freshman season with the Hornets, averaging 14.5 points per game.Temple conquered the rough road of the NBA and received a chance with Houston as an undrafted free agent. Eventually, the Baton Rouge native landed with San Antonio and signed for the rest of the season.Now it’s former LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell’s turn to wait out the NBA draft — which begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. — in hopes he will either be drafted or signed as a free agent.”My goal has always been to be an NBA player,” Mitchell said. “I’m expecting to go to a good team, undrafted or drafted. I can make it in the NBA either way it goes.”Mitchell is coming off a stellar senior campaign, putting a young team on his back and leading the Tigers with 16.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He finished his career No. 3 on LSU’s all-time scoring list.If he’s not drafted, Mitchell will have to go the route of Temple and work to earn a job with a team.The 6-foot-7-inch, 230-pound forward said he has learned from Temple’s experience in the league.”He’s hardworking,” Mitchell said. “It shows how you should never give up. He’s inspired me a lot.”Temple said he has his fingers crossed his former teammate will be chosen tonight.”You always want to hear your name called,” Temple said. “He shouldn’t be discouraged if he doesn’t get drafted, as long as you just get a shot.”Mitchell said he has worked out for the Hornets, Kings, Bulls, Rockets, Thunder, Bobcats and Hawks prior to the draft.”I did pretty good in all of them,” Mitchell said. “You never know what they are thinking.”The Denham Springs native may be a little biased to the home-state team, but he is OK with any organization that gives him a chance.”It would be nice to be home in front of the home crowd,” Mitchell said. “I really did great in my workouts in New Orleans. I’d love to go there.”Mitchell said Thornton talked to him about making it in the NBA.”Marcus — he just told me to keep playing hard,” Mitchell said. “You never know how the cookie’s going to crumble. I’m just going to take what they give me.”Mitchell said the Bobcats, home of former LSU star Tyrus Thomas, also showed interest in him.”Wherever I go, I’m going to give 100 percent,” Mitchell said.Mitchell has been down the pre-draft road before, working out for NBA teams last summer before returning to LSU for his senior season.He said he was more dedicated to the process this time.”This year I’m two feet in,” Mitchell said. “Last year I was one foot in and one foot out.”LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson mentored Mitchell for two seasons and knows the forward’s strengths.”He’s a good basketball player,” Johnson said. “He understands the game. He has a high basketball IQ. He can play against big and small players.”Johnson cited maturity and experience as Mitchell’s greatest qualities.”He’s going to understand his role on the team,” Johnson said. “He’s so passionate about the game.”Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett found success straight out of high school, but Johnson said players who spend long careers in college benefit at the next level.”[Bryant and Garnett] are on a different level,” Johnson said. “The mainstay of a lot of teams that are winning are with guys that played awhile in college.”Temple, who is playing for the Spurs’ summer league team with a non-guaranteed contract, said Mitchell is ready for the NBA.”They underestimate his defense,” Temple said. “He’s been playing against top competition his whole life.”Critics have cited Mitchell’s lack of length and athleticism as reasons for his low draft stock, but Johnson disagrees.”We aren’t running track,” Johnson said. “Basketball’s a game of angles of skills. Tasmin’s strengths outweigh the weaknesses.”Mitchell said he is motivated to prove his worth whether he is drafted or not.”You are on a mission to show teams they made a mistake in not drafting you earlier,” Mitchell said. “There’s going to be a lot of teams that want to pick me up.”–Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]