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2 unusual facts about NBA Draft


NBA draft

Restrictions exist on players signing with sports agents and on declaring for, then withdrawing, from drafts—although most of them are enforced by the NCAA rather than the NBA.

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball

Leuer would go on to be selected in the second round of the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.


1990–91 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team

Entering the 1990-91 season, Illinois, faced with the loss of Kendall Gill, Steve Bardo and Marcus Liberty, who declared himself eligible for the NBA draft after his junior season, was picked to finish as low as ninth in the Big Ten by some publications.

2004–05 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team

Mike Krzyzewski had turned down a $40 million offer in the offseason to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers to return for his 25th season and rebuild a team that lost Chris Duhon to graduation, Luol Deng to the pros and recruit Shaun Livingston altogether for the NBA Draft.

2011–12 Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team

In a major offseason development, three of the Commodores' most important players—Festus Ezeli, John Jenkins, and Jeffery Taylor—all spurned the NBA Draft and announced they would return for the 2011–12 season.

Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball

Thirty-six ASU Sun Devils have been selected in the NBA Draft, including James Harden, Byron Scott, Isaac Austin, Lafayette Lever, Alton Lister, Lionel Hollins, Sam Williams, Jeff Pendergraph, Stevin "Hedake" Smith, Mario Bennett, Tommy Smith, Ike Diogu, Eddie House.

Art Long

A 6'9", 250 pound power forward out of the East High School and University of Cincinnati who also attended Independence Community Junior College, Dodge City Community College in Kansas and Southeastern Community College in Iowa, Long was not drafted but both the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings signed him as a free agent in 1999, though he was waived before ever playing a game for either.

Cholet Basket

It is also one of the only six European clubs to have provided two players to the same NBA draft in 2009, beside Real Madrid (2005), Joventut Badalona (2009), Fenerbahçe Ülker (2008), KK Partizan (2002) and Pau-Ortez (2003).

Ray Giacoletti

During Giacoletti's tenure, Andrew Bogut was named the John R. Wooden Award winner and became the #1 draft pick in the 2005 NBA draft - joining fellow University of Utah student-athlete Alex Smith as the only time that two athletes from the same school were selected #1 in their respective drafts in the same year.

Tim Floyd

The off-season immediately following the 2009 tournament proved to be tumultuous for Floyd and the USC program: Key starters DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett all declared for the NBA draft on the same day.


see also

2010–11 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team

Sophomore Greg Monroe declined to return, and entered the NBA Draft where he was selected by the Detroit Pistons.

Jewish Community Center

Tal Brody, who was drafted #12 in the NBA draft but opted instead to play for Israel, began playing basketball at the Trenton JCC.

Rochester Zeniths

The Zeniths were coached by local product Mauro Panaggio, a successful Division III basketball coach at SUNY Brockport and featured many former prominent Western New York college basketball players, most notably guard Glenn Hagan from St. Bonaventure and forward Larry Fogle from Canisius College (both had been second round NBA Draft picks).

Russell Westbrook

He did not attract too much attention from top college basketball programs until Ben Howland offered him a scholarship to play for the UCLA Bruins after Jordan Farmar declared for the NBA Draft.