Before the opening tipoff, former Overland High School athlete Eddie Gill grabbed a microphone.

Speaking on behalf of the Colorado 14ers basketball team, Gill thanked fans at the Broomfield Event Center for attending Wednesday night’s game.

There weren’t many fans there, and poor attendance might prove costly to the team’s future in the NBA Development League.

But those who did show up were treated to a hard night’s work. The 14ers beat the Austin Toros 121-119. Truth be told, I wasn’t around for the end. Blame it on Theraflu.

I’m not sure who, or what, to blame for Colorado coach Bob MacKinnon’s early second-half ejection.

It’s called the D-League, but the players deserve a bold “E” for effort. Every game is like a 48-minute audition, with players hoping to catch the eye of an NBA scout and receive a call-up to the big show.

“There could be a scout sitting in the highest row, but you don’t realize he’s a scout,” 14ers guard Billy Thomas said. “That doesn’t give you the reason not to go out and do your best. You never know who’s watching.

“You always have to be the consummate professional if you want to get to that level.”

There are forced shots. They turn the ball over plenty and offer quizzical glares at the officials. At times, you see some pretty raw basketball.

But those things can happen when you’re trying too hard to make “it” happen. Once the players loosen up, you catch glimpses of talent that might be deemed worthy of play at the next level.

For the 14ers, it’s Gill’s quickness, which keeps defenders off balance. Jamar Brown’s shooting touch inside the paint. The long-range shooting of D-League All-Star forward Josh Davis. Thomas’ veteran savvy, on and off the court.

It’s not the NBA, but the D-League does offer hustle and hope.

“Players who haven’t been (to the NBA), it’s the only goal they have, to get there — just like all of us,” Davis said. “They have to understand ... it is a process.”