Pro Basketball Draft Notes
2006 Draft | June 29, 2006
The 2006 NBA Draft took place yesterday. The following are key notes and facts about the results:
Italy’s Andrea Bargnani (Benetton Treviso) is the eighth international player – second who didn’t play college basketball in the United States – to be selected with the first overall pick of the NBA Draft. In 2002, the Houston Rockets chose Yao Ming of China. International players selected number one overall who played college basketball in the United States are: Mychal Thompson (Bahamas) in 1978; Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria) in 1984; Patrick Ewing (Jamaica) in 1985; Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands) in 1997; Michael Olowokandi (Nigeria); and Andrew Bogut (Australia) in 2005.
Three college seniors – Shelden Williams (#5), Brandon Roy (#6) and Randy Foye (#7) were selected in the top seven of the 2006 NBA Draft. The last time this happened was1997, when Tim Duncan (#1), Keith Van Horn (#2) and Antonio Daniels (#4) all went in the top seven.
All five members of the 2005-06 Associated Press All-America First Team were taken in the top 11: Adam Morrison (#3), Shelden Williams (#5), Brandon Roy (#6), Randy Foye (#7) and J.J. Redick (#11).
In 2005, there were three point guards – Deron Williams (#3), Chris Paul (#4) and Raymond Felton (#5) chosen in the top five. The first point guard selected in the 2006 Draft was Kentucky’s Rajon Rondo (#21).
The New Jersey Nets selected Marcus Williams and Josh Boone from Connecticut with the 22nd and 23rd picks. It’s the second time in three years the Huskies have had two players taken back-to-back in the draft. In 2004, Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon went second and third overall, respectively.
There were six international players selected in the first round, three shy of the record (9) set in 2003. This year’s selections are: Andrea Bargnani (Italy), Saer Sene (Senegal), Thabo Sefolosha (Switzerland), Oleksiy Pecherov (Ukraine), Sergio Rodriguez (Spain) and Joel Freeland (England).
There were eight college seniors selected in the first round.
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