D.J. Augustin (courtesy U of Texas)

At yesterday’s NBA Draft Media Day we got a chance to throw some questions at a bunch of the guys you’ll see don the Draft Cap and get that long-awaited photo op with the Commish tonight. Throughout the day we’ll be hitting you with those Q&A’s…

D.J. AUGUSTIN, PG, TEXAS (19.2 points, 5.8 assists, 1.2 steals)

Dime: What are the main teams you’ve been hearing your name connected to?
D.J. Augustin: Sacramento, Indiana and New York.

Dime: When you’re traveling for these individual workouts, are you also checking out the cities as potential places to live?
DA: We don’t get much time to drive around and look at the city. You get to see from the airport to the gym, that’s basically it. They work you out and send you on your way. But I saw a little bit of each city, and all of the cities I’ve been to for workouts, I’d been there more than once before.

Dime: What kind of stuff do they have you do in the workouts?
DA: A lot of dribbling drills, shooting drills, a lot of running up and down. You play a lot of 3-on-3, a lot of 2-on-2.

Dime: Is going through a workout with NBA scouts watching similar to when you had college recruiters watching your high school games?
DA: Yeah, the whole process has been like college recruiting again. I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of it.

Dime: Have you bought anything yet?
DA: Not yet. I don’t know what I’m gonna buy. I’m not worried about it, though. I’m just trying to get drafted before I get anything.

Dime: Everyone says they don’t look at the mock drafts at this stage in the game. How hard is it to ignore all of that?
DA: It’s tough, but I haven’t looked at any of them this whole process. You never know what can happen on draft night.

Dime: When did you feel like you were ready for the League?
DA: After this year. I just felt I’d matured a lot on the court and off the court. I felt like I’d taken my game to another level.

Dime: Looking back, was there one game in particular you can point to as the moment you knew you were ready?
DA: I felt like that the whole season, really. I had a great season, the team had a great season, and I helped the team win a lot of games we weren’t expected to win.

Dime: Have you gone up against NBA players during the offseason? How has that helped you prepare for the pros?
DA: I work out with T.J. Ford every day almost. He’s a great mentor. I’ve been working out with a lot of NBA guys — J.R. Smith, Steve Francis, a lot of them. T.J. taught me not to play around with the ball; as a point guard you gotta get to your spot. The game is much quicker in the NBA and the guys are much bigger, so you have to get to the spot and don’t play around with it.

Dime: If you were choosing for the Bulls at #1 and you couldn’t pick yourself, who would you pick out of Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley?
DA: It’s a win-win situation. They’re both great players but they play different positions, so it depends on what the team needs. You can’t lose with either pick. Mike’s a strong player who’s confident and he’s gonna score. He’s gonna do whatever it takes to get his team the win, and Derrick is the same way. I don’t know … the Bulls need a point guard and they need some scoring. It’s gonna be a tough pick for them.

Dime: Does the day before the draft feel the same as the night before a big game?
DA: Not too much. Before a game I’m kind of nervous. Right now I’m not nervous; I’m just anxious and excited.

Dime: How do you think you’ll feel when you hear your name called?
DA: A lot of relief, but I’ll be really excited and really happy.

Dime: Who’s going to be the first person you look for at that moment?
DA: My mom, my dad … my whole family sitting at the table with me. I just want to enjoy the moment with them.

Dime: How many times have you envisioned yourself walking across that stage?
DA: Oh man, I’ve dreamed of it my whole life. For it to finally be here now, it’s hard to believe.