Indiana Pacers Hosting Six More Prospects for Pre-Draft Workout Friday

The Indiana Pacers announced on Wednesday afternoon that they would be working out these six prospects in a pre-draft workout:

Ernest Udeh Jr., Miami (FL)
Nate Johnson, Kansas State
Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State
Kowacie Reeves Jr., Georgia Tech
M.J. Collins, Utah State
Barry Dunning Jr., Pitt

While the Pacers are currently without a first or second-round pick, they are still bringing in players to see up close and interview in case they want to trade back into the draft, or sign one of them if they go undrafted.

Below are six short blurbs about each prospect coming.

Ernest Udeh Jr. | Center | Miami (FL)

Udeh Jr. spent his first season the with Kansas Jayhawks, playing 8.3 minutes per game off the bench. He transferred the next season to TCU where he became a starter for the Horned Frogs, starting in all 59 games before transferring one last time his senior season to Miami (FL).

His senior season was the best of his collegiate career shooting 72.7% from the field, corralling 9.2 rebounds per game, and stuffing the defensive stat sheet with 1.0 steals per game, and 1.4 blocks per game. He was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team.

Standing 6-foot 11-inches tall with a 7-foot 4.5-inch wingspan, Udeh Jr. is an elite rim protector and rebounder with great discipline on the defensive side of the ball. He's extremely mobile for his size, is a strong screen setter and is a top-tier lob threat in the pick-and-roll.

Udeh. Jr. will be 22 years old on draft night, and turns 23 on January 8th. He is projected as a late second-round pick or to go undrafted.

2025-26 Stats:
Points: 6.7
Rebounds: 9.2
Assists: 0.5
FG%: 72.7%
3PT%: No Threes Attempted
FT%: 51.2%

Nate Johnson | Guard | Kansas State

After spending his first three seasons with the Akron Zips in the MAC, Johnson transferred to Kansas State and was a starter in all thirty-two games. After struggling to connect from distance during his previous two years with Akron, Johnson connected on 138 of his 309 three-point attempts, good for 40.8%.

During his junior year at Akron, he won several awards: MAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, MAC Tournament MVP, and made the All-MAC First Team. Standing 6-foot 3-inches tall with a near 6-foot 8-inch wingspan, Johnson's a versatile two-way guard.

His coach at Kansas State, Jerome Tang, expressed how versatile of a player Johnson is with his ability to guard any player on the floor. His quickness allows him to guard smaller guys, and his toughness allows him to defend players bigger than him.

Johnson will turn 23 years old a week before the NBA Draft.

2025-26 Stats:
Points: 12.8
Rebounds: 4.9
Assists: 4.6
FG%: 44.7%
3PT%: 40.5%
FT%: 85.0%

Jaxon Kohler | Forward | Michigan State

The four-year forward from Michigan State is a skilled back-to-the-basket big that can also let it rip from three. Spending all four seasons under Coach Izzo, Kohler earned his way into the starting lineup over the last two seasons and finished his senior season with a career-best 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

Standing 6-foot-9 and weighing 240 pounds, Kohler is a big body that plays with a non-stop motor. Before his senior year he embraced the phrase "psycho mentality" to describe his approach to the game.

He crashes the glass hard, has developed into a reliable outside shooter making 38.9% of his attempts this season, and is a student of the game. With terrific shooting splits in his senior season, he is expected to be drafted late in the second-round with the possibility of going undrafted.

Kohler turns 23 a week before the NBA Draft.

2025-26 Stats:
Points: 12.5
Rebounds: 8.9
Assists: 1.3
FG%: 50.0%
3PT%: 38.9%
FT%: 86.9%

Kowacie Reeves Jr. | Guard-Forward | Georgia Tech

The 5th year senior had a strong collegiate career. He spent his first two seasons with the Florida Gators and ended his career with the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets.

Reeves is a rim destroyer who loves to put his athleticism on display. At 6-foot-7, Reeves is a 3-and-D wing who shot 38.7% from three last season while nearly averaging a block and a steal per game. Along with his speed and athleticism, Reeves' 6-foot-10.5 wingspan gives him an edge defensively, as his long arms and frame make it difficult for opponents to get around him.

His pre-draft camp performances have landed him pre-draft workouts for teams other than the Pacers, as teams are intrigued by his potential and skillset. He is currently projected to go in the late second-round of the NBA Draft or go undrafted.

Kowacie enters the draft at 23 years old and will turn 24 at the end of January 2027.

2025-26 Stats:
Points: 15.1
Rebounds: 3.8
Assists: 1.2
FG%: 45.6%
3PT%: 38.7%
FT%: 77.9%

M.J. Collins | Guard | Utah State

Collins spent his first two seasons with Virginia Tech, before transferring to Vanderbilt in 2024-25. After one season with Vanderbilt, he transferred to Utah State, where he started in all 36 games for the Aggies and had a massive statistical jump.

The senior guard improved his scoring average by 10.1 points per game, averaging 17.5 points while shooting a career-best 48.7% shooting from the field and 36.1% from three-point range. He led the Aggies to the No. 1 seed in the Mountain West Conference, was named to the All-Conference Second Team, made the MWC All-Tournament Team and won the MWC Tournament MVP.

Collins is a 6-foot-4 guard, weighing 190 pounds, and is a strong and athletic defender. He will be 23 on draft night, and turns 24 on January 1st.

2025-26 Stats:
Points: 17.5
Rebounds: 2.5
Assists: 1.6
FG%: 48.7%
3PT%: 36.1%
FT%: 81.0%

Barry Dunning Jr. | Guard-Forward | Pitt

The 6-foot-6 guard-forward played for four different colleges throughout his NCAA career: Arkansas, UAB, South Alabama, and Pitt. In his first two seasons, Dunning Jr. wasn't a three-point shooter, but by the end of his career he was taking 5.2 per game, and knocking down 34.5% of them.

This season for Pitt, Dunning Jr. started the season coming off the bench before starting in the final 27 games. He is an athletic force that has a 7-foot wingspan, which allows him to contest shots and get steals against opponents. Offensively, he leans on his athleticism to drive by defenders with the ability to get into the paint.

Oddly enough, Barry Dunning Jr. shares the same birthday as M.J. Collins. He will turn 24 on January 1st.

2025-26 Stats:
Points: 12.5
Rebounds: 5.9
Assists: 0.8
FG%: 46.6%
3PT%: 34.5%
FT%: 71.6%

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