Pac-12 Men's Basketball programs see 10 chosen in 2020 NBA Draft
SAN FRANCISCO - Pac-12 Men's Basketball nailed its expectations with 10 selections in the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, reaching double-digit picks for the second time in the past four years and just the fourth time in league history. Included among the Pac-12's 10 selections were a national-best six First Round picks.
The Pac-12's six First Round selections tied for the most of any league (SEC - 6) and are tied for the second-most of the modern Draft era (since 1989) for the Conference (7 - 2008; 6 - 2009, 2014, 2017, 2020).
The league's 10 overall selections marked just the fourth time the Conference reached double-figure picks in a single Draft (14 - 2017; 12 - 2008; 11 - 2001).
Over the course of the last four years (2017-20), the Pac-12 has amassed 37 Draft selections, the second-most of any league in the country trailing only the 15-team ACC (45).
PAC-12 2020 NBA DRAFT SELECTIONS
First Round
6. Onyeka Okongwu, USC - Atlanta Hawks
16. Isaiah Stewart, WASH - Portland Trail Blazers (traded to Detroit Pistons)
18. Josh Green, ARIZ - Dallas Mavericks
22. Zeke Nnaji, ARIZ - Denver Nuggets
26. Payton Pritchard, ORE - Boston Celtics
28. Jaden McDaniels, WASH - Los Angeles Lakers
Second Round
31. Tyrell Terry, STAN - Dallas Mavericks
36. Tyler Bey, COLO - Philadelphia 76ers
46. CJ Elleby, WSU - Portland Trail Blazers
48. Nico Mannion, ARIZ - Golden State Warriors
2020 NBA DRAFT SELECTIONS BY CONFERENCE
SEC - 12 (6 First Round)
Pac-12 - 10 (6 First Round)
ACC - 8 (3 First Round)
Big 12 - 4 (3 First Round)
Big Ten - 4 (1 First Round)
Mountain West - 4 (1 First Round)
AAC - 2 (2 First Round)
Big East - 2 (1 First Round)
A-10 - 1 (1 First Round)
CAA - 1 (0 First Round)
USC freshman Onyeka Okongwu was selected sixth overall by the Atlanta Hawks. The 2019-20 Pac-12 First Team All-Conference selection is the second-highest Draft pick in school history (O.J. Mayo - No. 3 in 2008), the first Trojan taken in the lottery since DeMar DeRozan (No. 9 in 2009), and is the fourth USC player taken in the past three seasons joining De'Anthony Melton and Chimezie Metu in 2018 and Kevin Porter Jr. in 2019. It marks only the second time in the modern Draft era (1989) that USC has had three consecutive years of selections (2007-09).
WASHINGTON freshman Isaiah Stewart was selected 16th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, though the pick was traded to the Detroit Pistons. Also a First Team All-Conference pick in his lone season, Stewart is the 12th First Round pick for the Huskies' program in the modern Draft era including the fifth in the past five seasons (Chriss & Murray 2016; Fultz 2017; Thybulle 2019).
ARIZONA freshman Josh Green went 18th overall to the Dallas Mavericks, the Wildcats' 41st Draft pick and 22nd First Round selection of the modern era. He is the 11th Draft pick under Arizona head coach Sean Miller including the eighth First Rounder in the Miller era.
Green's teammate and 2019-20 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Zeke Nnaji was chosen 22nd overall by the Denver Nuggets, giving Arizona multiple First-Round selections for the fourth time in the modern Draft era (1989, 1998, 2015).
2019-20 Pac-12 Player of the Year Payton Pritchard of OREGON went 26th overall to the Boston Celtics. The consensus First Team All-American and Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year became only the second player to lead the Conference in scoring (20.5 ppg), assists (5.6 apg) and threes (88) in the same season (Damon Stoudamire, ARIZ 1994-95). He is the eighth Duck drafted under head coach Dana Altman, the second in the First Round (Brown 2018).
WASHINGTON picked up its second First-Round selection with freshman Jaden McDaniels going 28th overall to the Los Angeles Lakers. That gives the Huskies multiple First-Round picks during the modern Draft era for the third time in program history (2012, 2016).
STANFORD's Tyrell Terry kicked off the Second Round as the sixth Pac-12 freshman to come off the board with the 31st overall pick to the Dallas Mavericks.
2019-20 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Bey became the sixth COLORADO player selected under head coach Tad Boyle including the third in the past four years when he came off the board at No. 36 to the Philadelphia 76ers, current home of 2018-19 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Matisse Thybulle (WASH).
CJ Elleby, a First Team All-Pac-12 performer in 2019-20, went to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 46 to become WASHINGTON STATE's first NBA Draft pick since Klay Thompson in 2011.
Nico Mannion became the third ARIZONA freshman to hear his name called as the 48th pick of the Golden State Warriors. It marked the fourth time in the modern Draft era the Wildcats had three-or-more selections (1996, 1998, 2001).