After two high schools, two college commitments, a stellar McDonald’s All-American Game and an internship with New Balance, Princeton’s Darius Bazley is expected to be selected in the second round of the NBA Draft, according to projections.

Bazley’s route to the NBA has been unconventional, but his performance as one of 66 players invited to the league’s combine has him in the mix to hear his name called out Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, he has a unique skillset that Princeton coach Steve Wright saw up close during games with the Vikings and in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) ball.

“He’s getting good feedback from going and playing at the combine and his individual workouts,” Wright said. “All the work he’s put in, just to see him grow into the young man he’s growing into is fun.”

Bazley was Greater Miami Conference (GMC) Player of the Year for Wright in 2018 and made the Ohio Division I First Team after averaging 15.4 points per game, 10.3 rebounds, 2 blocks and 3.9 assists. He led the league in rebounds, blocks and assists.

“Everybody has a different story,” Wright said of Bazley’s circuitous path. “You see other McDonald’s All-Americans that have transferred schools. You can sit back and say, ‘Man, he should have went to Syracuse,’ but you just never know.”

Wright says Bazley fared well in the Chicago combine with his array of skills.

“They really love his versatility to be able to guard multiple positions with his measurements,” Wright said.

Here are five things you need to know about Bazley:

1. Bazley just celebrated his 19th birthday.

Like Jaxson Hayes, Bazley is 19 years old having just had a birthday on June 12. Hayes is about three weeks older. Despite their proximity, the two never squared off in high school.

“I haven’t played him,” Hayes said. “We worked out together with the same trainer. We’ve been talking a lot. We’re both really excited.”

2. Before going to Princeton, Bazley played two years at Finneytown.

As a 6-foot-6 freshman, he averaged 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds, then 15.8 points and 12.4 rebounds as a 6-foot-7 sophomore. By his junior season, at Princeton, he was 6-foot-8, growing to 6-foot-9 by his senior year.

3. He was originally an Ohio State commit, then a Syracuse commit.

He decommitted from the Buckeyes and then-coach Thad Matta in 2017 when they failed to make the NCAA nor the NIT tournaments. He then committed to Syracuse and Jim Boeheim.

4. He decided to forgo college.

After the McDonald’s All-American Game, when he scored 11 points with 7 rebounds, he announced he would bypass college and go straight to the NBA G-League. Bazley is represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, whose most famous client is LeBron James.

Paul and company then took another unconventional turn, spurning the G-League for a shoe deal with New Balance, thus giving Bazley time to add to his slender frame in preparation for a run at this year’s NBA Draft.

“It’s an acquired taste,” Paul said of his client’s choice. “Do I think someone else will do it? I do. It can be done.”

5. Bazley’s internship with New Balance was for $1 million and could pay him up to $14 million in incentives.

In the meantime, he impressed in his workouts, which totaled 16 teams, according to Paul.

“He’s done a great job in his interviews and done a great job in his play,” Paul said. “With his size and skillset, there’s an opportunity to move up (from the second round). At the end of the day, he’s going to be a good pro for a long time. He’s a lottery talent. You’ll see guys go ahead of him that in three years, you’ll be, like, ‘Wow!’ He has more upside than anybody.”