Jameel Pugh is running a business.

He handles the production, marketing and selling of his most important merchandise: himself.

Everything Pugh does is a sales pitch — his 15-point senior season average, the dunk contests and the charity basketball games are all part of a sales package that Pugh hopes to turn into a pro basketball career. His first shot is with the Sacramento Kings in a Thursday individual workout.

All of which has earned Pugh The State Hornet’s Sportsman of the Year, an honor awarded to the Sac State athlete or coach who contributed the most to Hornets athletics through outstanding service.

“It’s definitely an honor and something I will be proud of forever,” Pugh said. “There is no greater honor than to have the school support me the way Sac State has.”

It’s the culmination of a commitment Pugh made to both the Hornets and himself three years ago when he completed a transfer from University of Massachusetts to Sac State. He immediately had an impact on the program, garnering attention from his previous slam dunk titles and elevating Sac State basketball to its highest platform.

Pugh attracted more eyes to the program with his highlight-reel slams and finished second in the NCAA dunk contest on ESPN. Pugh turned heads with a 37-point performance in front of an Arco Arena crowd at an April celebrity basketball game. Pugh stole the show from fellow celebrities such as Jerry Rice, Onterrio Smith and Bill Bellamy.

Following the game, Pugh’s mother stood for a picture with Bellamy as the comedian explained to her that her son needed to learn some manners.

“He was just dunking over everybody, without saying ‘excuse me’ or anything,” Bellamy said.But with each dunk, Pugh was actually strengthening the perception that his business was one faceted — a dunker and nothing else.

“It’s hard to play your way out of that role because people want to see what you’re known for,” Pugh said. “I think a lot of times my dunking abilities overshadow my other abilities.”It makes me more hesitant to dunk and more willing to show the other skills I have.”

Pugh’s current goal is to earn an more invitations to NBA free agent training camps, but he knows in order to meet those goals he will need to prove he has more to his game than just dunking.

“Skill players are rare,” Pugh said. “To extend your career, you need to develop into a skill player.”

So for now Pugh, continues to work on the finer points of his game. He has connected with Guss Armstead, a local basketball trainer and consultant, who has advised Pugh on what paths he can take next.

Armstead, who has trained the likes of Bobby Jackson, Matt Barnes, Jerome James and Troy Hudson, said he is not the type of guy to, “blow smoke.” He said there is no doubt in his mind that Pugh has all the ingredients to make a living playing basketball.

“I’m really encouraged with Jameel and the progress he has made since the end of the season,” Armstead said. “The most encouraging thing is that I don’t think he’s even tapped into his potential. He is a good shooter. From knowing him at Grant where he couldn’t hit the side of a barn, it’s really amazing to see that progression.”

Armstead said that Pugh’s performance in the collegiate dunk contest helped Pugh in getting his name out there. Pugh’s ability to market himself will be crucial in getting looks from the pro game.

“Anyway you can portray yourself in a positive light is huge,” Pugh said. “If basketball is a business, I am a product. That’s how you have to look at everything I do; I’m trying to sell myself to a team.”

That’s why Pugh will take any chance he gets to put himself in the spotlight, hoping to match the attention that players who come from bigger programs receive.

“For Jameel, it’s going to be a matter of getting the same opportunities as the guys from the bigger schools.”

The same type of big school Pugh left on his way to the Hornets three years ago.

Following Sac State’s season-ending loss to Weber State in the conference tournament, head coach Jerome Jenkins pulled Pugh aside and offered some words of encouragement.

“He told me, ‘I really believe that you can play at the next level. It’s up to you how hard you work, but you have the tools.”

Pugh is working hard to sharpen those tools, and soon it will be time to see if they’re sharp enough to sell to the pro game.

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Jimmy Spencer can be reached at [email protected]