2009 NBA Draft: Ohio State & Pitt

2009 NBA Draft Preview
Thursday June 25

Ohio State Buckeyes

For the third year in a row, the Buckeyes have themselves a one-and-done center in B.J. Mullens (Oden and Koufos). The seven foot freshman is slated to be picked in the middle of round one.  Mullens started two of Ohio State’s thirty-three games this past season. The Canal Winchester product averaged 8.8 points a game, shot 63.8% from the field and snagged 4.7 caroms a contest.

Buckeyes’ Drafted Since 2000

Draft	Rnd/Pick	Team	Name	Pos
2008	1/23	Jazz	Kosta Koufos	F/C
2007	1/1	Blazers	Greg Oden	C
2007	1/4	Grizzlies	Michael Conley	G
2007	1/21	76ers	Daequan Cook	G
2001	2/48	Heat	Ken Johnson	F/C
2000	2/43	Bucks	Michael Redd	G
2000	2/57	Hawks	Scoonie Penn	G

 

Pittsburgh Panthers

The Panthers have enjoyed eight straight twenty plus win seasons. During that stretch, Pitt has won 79.7% of their games (220-56). However, since 2000 there has only been two Panthers selected in the NBA Draft. This year, there could be two taken in round one. Forwards DeJuan Blair and Sam Young are slated to be taken in the opening round. Blair is projected to hear his name come off the board in the middle of the first while Young could go as early as the bottom of the first or the top of the second round. If two Panthers were chosen in the first round, it would mark the first time that two Pitt players have been taken that early in the same draft since 1988. The 76ers chose forward Charles Smith third overall while the Nuggets took Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary alum Jerome Lane at number twenty-three that year.

Panthers’ Drafted Since 2000

Draft	Rnd/Pick	Team	Name	Pos
2007	2/49	Bulls	Aaron Gray	C
2005	2/42	Warriors	Chris Taft	F

NBA Draft Preview: Part 2 of 3
Saturday June 20 – Area Colleges
Sunday June 21 – Ohio State & Pitt
Monday June 22 – Cleveland Cavaliers