Before his NBA Draft night, former UConn star Drummond visits ESPN

When Andre Drummond was attending Capital Prep in Hartford, Conn. during his first two years of high school, he visited ESPN on a tour.

Back then, he was a 6-foot, 8-inch teen basketball prospect and — as you can see in the picture below — a fledgling football player.

Years passed, and Drummond put his wide receiver dreams behind him to focus on basketball.

He finished prep school at St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Conn., where he became the No. 2 rated prospect in the ESPNU Top 100. Drummond, a native of Middletown, Conn., made a commitment to UConn.

He played just one season with the Huskies, for whom he averaged 10 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game.

Tuesday, Drummond returned to our Bristol campus still a young, teen basketball prospect — he doesn’t turn 19 until Aug. 10 — but one who could become a lottery pick in the NBA Draft tonight on ESPN (7 p.m. ET).

In the video above Drummond, now a legit 7-footer and weighing about 260 pounds, talks about his experience as being a guest of the ESPN Car Wash; reflects on his favorite ESPN programs — he’s got a connection to a certain ESPN Films documentary, thanks to his agent — and more.

Drummond would not reveal what he’s going to be wearing as he shakes commissioner David Stern’s hand, but he indicates he will not take any fashion cues from ESPN analyst and 1994 NBA draftee Jalen Rose.

For the 10th consecutive year, ESPN will televise live coverage of the 2012 NBA Draft Presented by State Farm Thursday, June 28, at 7 p.m. ET, emanating from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

For ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas’ look at this NBA Draft pool, click here.