UCLA's Tyger Campbell, David Singleton Set to Appear in The PIT

The Bruins' longest-tenured guards are taking their first steps towards playing in the pros.

UCLA men's basketball guards David Singleton and Tyger Campbell are set to compete in the 69th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which starts Wednesday and culminates in Saturday's championship contest. Singleton is out of collegiate eligibility, but Campbell's decision to appear at the event may hint towards his plans for next season.

While Campbell has not formally announced that he has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, his participation in The PIT may signal his intentions of turning professional – whether that be in the NBA, the G League or overseas. Former Texas guard Courtney Ramey was on the roster in 2022, though, and he wound up transferring to Arizona later that spring, so Campbell's fate still isn't set in stone.

Here are the standards required to appear in The PIT, per the tournament's website:

"To be one of the 64 players selected for invitation to the PIT by the Player Selection Committee, players must be seniors in good academic and athletic department standing. The PIT considers players from NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as NAIA. Players must certify that they have not been “paid to play” in any basketball game or tournament in accordance with NCAA By-Laws 2-3(I)."

The event – which will take place in Portsmouth, Virginia, in front of plenty of professional scouts and executives – features 64 professional hopefuls split into eight teams. Campbell will suit up for Portsmouth Sports Club, while Singleton will play for Roger Brown's.

Campbell and Singleton's teams will not meet in the initial rounds, but could face off should future results send either team to the winner's or loser's bracket. There are several other notable players appearing in Portsmouth for the week, even if the event isn't as star-studded as it's been in the past.

Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton will be present, as will former Utah and Texas forward Timmy Allen. Former Wichita State, Nevada and Oklahoma guard Grant Sherfield – who decommitted from UCLA after Steve Alford was fired – will also take part in the action.

Matt Barnes competed in The PIT back in 2002, and he is the only former Bruin to join an NBA roster after playing in the tournament. Earl Monroe, Dave Cowens, John Stockton, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen and Derek Fisher are among the dozens of NBA legends who got their start in Portsmouth.

Only one PIT alum has been drafted by an NBA team the last four years, but there were six taken in one draft as recently as 2017.

Campbell's first game will tip off Wednesday at 4 p.m. PDT and Singleton's first contest will begin Thursday at 4 p.m. PDT.

Both Singleton and Campbell arrived at UCLA in 2018. Campbell tore his ACL before the start of his freshman year, while Singleton broke his foot at the end of it.

Singleton - a career 43.4% 3-point shooter – went on to appear in a program-record 164 games. Campbell has made the All-Pac-12 First Team in each of the past three seasons, and the 5-foot-11 point guard ranks second all-time among Bruins in total assists.

Follow Royer on Twitter at @thebenroyer