Henry Ellenson, who left Marquette after a record freshman season, is meeting with NBA teams in Chicago. Credit: Getty Images

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Chicago — After not making an appearance at the NBA draft combine Thursday, Henry Ellenson arrived for his media session Friday looking perfectly relaxed.

He wore NBA-issued sweats, had a backpack given to him at the combine with the tags still on it, and his hair was grown out just long enough to give the appearance of the fresh-out-of-bed look.

While other players are literally and figuratively sweating things out this week, Ellenson is at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Why wouldn't he be?

The former Marquette standout, who opted to enter the draft after a record freshman season, is not participating in any on-court activities at the Quest Multisport Complex. Instead, he's waiting until after the draft lottery Tuesday to decide which teams he will workout for.

The reason is simple — he's confident he is one of the top players in the draft. Based on what he heard during the 13 team interviews he did before Friday afternoon, he's not the only one who holds that belief.

"I'm thinking I'm a top pick," Ellenson said when asked about his draft range. "They (the NBA teams he has interviewed with) all think that, too. It's a good position to be in for sure."

Ellenson might have a different combine experience from most participants, but there was still work to be done and information to be gathered. Those 13, 30-minute interviews with teams represented an important step in getting to know different organizations as well as letting them know who he is.

"I want teams to know my character," Ellenson said. "I want teams to know I work hard and this is something I'm committed to — being the best I can be."

Many of the discussions centered on a small town in northwestern Wisconsin.

"They just want to get to know my story," Ellenson said. "They want to know all about me and my days back in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and all that stuff and how I grew up. They had some funny questions about how big the town size is, like, 'Is there only one stoplight?' I'm like, 'Come on, guys, it's not that small.'...There's more than one."

When it comes to basketball, teams had more good things to say than bad, which makes sense considering he's projected as a top-10 pick. They like Ellenson's versatility and ability to handle the ball well, both above average for a player who measured 6 feet 111/2 inches with shoes on. Teams expect that he'll be able to progress as a perimeter shooter and stretch the court, a coveted role for players his size.

"I think I'm just a mismatch problem," Ellenson said when asked about whether he'll play more inside or outside. "I feel comfortable playing all over, like I said; I guess a lot will fit the system, too. I'm not quite sure — some nights it will be more perimeter, some nights I'll go inside. Just having a good balance, that's what I think I'll have."

He said there were some criticisms, though. Teams told him he'll need to get stronger and improve his quickness. Since declaring for the draft, Ellenson has been in Los Angeles focusing on improving his body while also working on basketball skills ahead of the June 23 draft.

On Wednesday, Ellenson was weighed at 242 pounds — three fewer than when he started at Marquette — but had a body fat measurement of 11.2%, the fifth-highest at the combine.

"Being strong is something I feel like I can get better on because I'm young," said the 19-year-old Ellenson. "It's a man's league."

Ellenson's interviewers ran the gamut from teams in the lottery to those that don't even have a draft pick. When asked about specific teams, he said he thought he'd fit in well with the Los Angeles Lakers' young core, could see himself playing alongside the Philadelphia 76ers' trio of young centers and recognizes how special it would be to stay in state and join the Milwaukee Bucks.

He also knows that there are a lot of people who want him to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"It's close to home, I like that," said Ellenson, who met with the Timberwolves and new president of basketball operations and coach Tom Thibodeau. "It's the closest NBA team to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, two hours away. So I know there's some Rice Lake people rooting for that one. I can see a good fit with that young group."

Regardless of where he ends up, Ellenson said he was happy with his time at Marquette and how it prepared him for the next level. On Friday, he spent much of the afternoon alongside Golden Eagles video coordinator Jake Presutti, standing courtside and taking in the action.

"I enjoyed my time with those people (at Marquette)," Ellenson said. "I think everything's meant to be and I'm in the spot I've always wanted to be."

Occasionally others would join Ellenson and Presutti, whether it was Diamond Stone, who shared Wisconsin Mr. Basketball honors with Ellenson in 2015, or Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, who came over to offer his congratulations. Ellenson didn't need to stick around the combine as long as he did, staying several hours after he was done with media responsibilities, but he relished his opportunity to be part of the event even if he didn't compete.

"That's why I'm here today," he said when asked about enjoying the experience. "I just want to go watch the games, watch how it's going because this is an experience for me I'll never forget."