University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Looking Back at Thursday Night's NBA Draft
June 23, 2017 | Men's Basketball
For the first time since the NBA Draft shifted to its present-day two-round format in 1989, UCLA produced four NBA Draft selections on Thursday evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The quartet of former UCLA players included three freshmen (Lonzo Ball, TJ Leaf and Ike Anigbogu) from the Bruins' most recent team, which went 31-5 after opening the year with 13 straight victories. The fourth UCLA representative, Jonah Bolden, spent the 2016-17 season playing professionally for FMP Beograde of the ABA League in Serbia after two years in Westwood.
The four UCLA picks pushed the Bruins' all-time NBA Draft total to 118 selections, second-most in the nation behind Kentucky (124).
Not since 1982 had UCLA's program produced four draft selections. Back then, the league's draft included 10 rounds and 225 total selections. Thursday night's draft, as has been the custom since 1989, included two rounds of 60 total draft picks.
Until Thursday in Brooklyn, the UCLA men's basketball program had never been seen four of its former players selected over the course of the draft's first two rounds.
MEETING THE MEDIA
Leaf made his Indianapolis introduction at an Indiana Pacers' press conference on Friday afternoon (viewable through the Pacers' website by clicking here). Ball's introductory press conference with the Los Angeles Lakers took place at the organization's practice facility in El Segundo later on Friday afternoon (content available on the Lakers' website by clicking here).
SENIOR SIGNEES
Senior guards Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton have reached agreements to compete in the upcoming NBA Summer League – Alford with the defending champion Golden State Warriors, and Hamilton with the Indiana Pacers. Both seniors played critical roles last season in helping UCLA to a 31-5 record and the program's third Sweet 16 appearance in the last four years.
Alford, a 6-foot-3 guard from Albuquerque, N.M. (La Cueva High School), averaged 13.6 career points per game at UCLA (141 career games). He set UCLA's career record for most three-pointers made (329) and established the program's top two marks on the single-season three-pointers list (116 in 2016-17 and 93 in 2014-15).
Hamilton, a 6-foot-5 guard from Los Angeles (St. John Bosco High School), played in each of UCLA's 104 games the previous three seasons. He averaged 13.7 points and 3.7 rebounds over the course of three seasons, shooting 44.8 percent from the field.
CONFERENCE OF CHAMPIONS
Not only was Thursday a historic night for UCLA's program, but the Pac-12 Conference produced a league-record and national-best 14 draft selections – including six in the first round, as well as the No. 1 overall pick (Markelle Fultz, Washington) and the No. 2 selection (Ball). Both the Pac-12 and ACC produced 14 draft picks this season (followed by six selections in the Big 12 and four each in the Big Ten and SEC).
#Pac12Hoops set a league record with a national-best 14 selections in the 2017 @NBADraft on Thursday! #BackThePac https://t.co/uqFjMbdMXx pic.twitter.com/7BMZO8FJrc
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) June 23, 2017
LONZO TO THE LAKERS
Ball, chosen No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, became the Bruins' highest draft selection since David Greenwood was also chosen No. 2 in 1979 by the Chicago Bulls. In addition, Ball became UCLA's first player taken by the Lakers since Jordan Farmar was chosen No. 26 in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft after two seasons in Westwood.
With the hometown Lakers, Ball will be playing for his third team in three seasons, all within the Los Angeles area. As a high school standout, the 6-foot-6 guard led Chino Hills High School to a perfect 35-0 record and the 2016 CIF State Open Division Championship. As a freshman at UCLA in 2016-17, he led the nation in assists (274) and assists per game (7.6) while setting UCLA's single-season assists record.
We can't wait. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/aILdV1UBsI
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 23, 2017
BRUINS REUNITED IN INDIANA
Both Leaf and Anigbogu were drafted by the Indiana Pacers, 30 years to the day of the Pacers organization having selected four-year UCLA standout Reggie Miller as the No. 11 overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. Miller spent his entire NBA career with Indiana, totaling 25,279 points in 1,389 games.
In fact, with his selection as the No. 18 overall pick in this year's draft, Leaf became the first Bruin since Miller to be drafted by Indiana.
A 6-foot-10 freshman forward for the Bruins last season, Leaf led the team in scoring (16.3 points per game) and double-doubles (11). He was one of five finalists for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Hailing from El Cajon, Calif., (near San Diego), Leaf averaged 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.
Leaf already has connections to the state of Indiana. Aside from the UCLA ties to Miller, his father (Brad) grew up in Indianapolis and played basketball as a student-athlete at the University of Evansville from 1979 to 1982.
Nearly 90 minutes after Leaf's selection to the Pacers, Indiana landed itself another talented UCLA player in Ike Anigbogu, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from El Cajon, Calif.
When you and your @UCLAMBB teammate are both drafted by the #Pacers... pic.twitter.com/Z8R2c4Fm5B
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 23, 2017
Anigbogu, along with Ball and Leaf, entered UCLA in the summer of 2016 as part of an incoming class ranked No. 4, nationally, by Scout.com. A former standout at Centennial High School (Corona, Calif.,), Anigbogu averaged 4.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game during his freshman season.
BOLDEN SELECTED BY 76ERS
Bolden, 21, took the unorthodox path to the NBA Draft, being selected No. 36 overall (second round) by the Philadelphia 76ers. After two seasons in Westwood (2014-15, 2015-16), the 6-foot-10 forward from Melbourne, Australia, turned pro last summer and excelled with FMP Beograde in Serbia.
On the court for UCLA in 2015-16, Bolden played in 31 games and averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He logged one double-double, registering 10 points and 11 rebounds, in a nationally-televised victory at Gonzaga (Dec. 12, 2015).
SECOND-ROUND SUCCESS STORIES
For Anigbogu and Bolden, they each have major opportunities to contribute to a strong and recent trend of successful UCLA players selected in the second round.
Most recently, Norman Powell (2012-15) was drafted No. 46 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors and has flourished with a playoff-caliber organization. Last season, Powell averaged 8.4 points in 76 regular-season contests.
Since the 2001 NBA Draft, UCLA has produced some notable NBA "second round" talents in Earl Watson (2001), Dan Gadzuric (2002), Matt Barnes (2002), Jason Kapono (2003), Trevor Ariza (2004), Ryan Hollins (2006) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (2008). Each of those players has spent at least nine seasons in the NBA.
Watson, now the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, enjoyed a 13-year NBA career (6.4 ppg, 4.4 apg in 878 total games).
Gadzuric, Kapono and Hollins have since concluded their NBA careers, having each played at least 500 career games.
Barnes was acquired midway during the 2016-17 NBA season by the Golden State Warriors, helping the organization capture its second NBA Finals title in the last three years. A four-year guard at UCLA from 1999 to 2002, Barnes has played in 929 career games spanning 14 seasons and is the most veteran Bruin currently in the league.
HE'S ONE OF SIX
As the No. 2 overall selection by the Lakers on Thursday, Ball became the sixth player in program history to have been picked within the draft's top two selections. Other No. 2 picks from UCLA have included Sidney Wicks (1971, Portland Trail Blazers), David Meyers (1975, Los Angeles Lakers) and David Greenwood (1979, Chicago Bulls). UCLA's No. 1 overall NBA picks are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969, Milwaukee Bucks) and Bill Walton (1974, Portland Trail Blazers).
RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW
Be sure to reserve your seat now to watch next season's UCLA team. Season ticket packages are now on sale, starting at less than $19 per game. To secure your seats in Pauley Pavilion for the 2017-18 season, call (310) 206-5991 or visit uclabruins.com/tickets.
