June 24, 2010
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech freshman Derrick Favors was selected third overall by New Jersey Thursday night, while junior Gani Lawal was taken in the second round, 46th overall, by Phoenix, in the NBA Draft held at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Favors, a 6-10 forward from Atlanta, became the eighth Yellow Jacket player to be a lottery selection and was taken just one spot below the highest Tech selection ever, Kenny Anderson, who went No. 2 overall in 1991. He and Lawal, a 6-9 forward from Norcross, are the sixth pair of Tech players to be taken in the first two rounds of the same draft.
Georgia Tech bio and career statistics
Georgia Tech bio and career statistics
Favors and Lawal were the first Tech players selected in the NBA Draft since 2007. Anthony Morrow (2009 to Golden State) and Alade Aminu (2010 to Miami) have made NBA rosters as undrafted free agents in the last two years.
Two players have been selected in the first two rounds of the NBA Draft five times before this year – John Salley and Mark Price in 1985, Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver in 1990, Jon Barry and Matt Geiger in 1992, Stephon Marbury and Drew Barry in 1996, Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton in 2007).
First-round picks – Georgia Tech has had 17 players taken in the first round overall, the 15 since 1989 and five who were recruited into the program by Paul Hewitt. Only once have two Georgia Tech players been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft – Thaddeus Young (12th overall) and Javaris Crittenton (19th) in 2007.
Lottery picks – Eight Tech players have been “lottery picks” (one of the top 13 players chosen) from since the lottery was implemented in 1985, if he is chosen as projected. They are: John Salley (11th overall to Detroit, 1985), Tom Hammonds (9th overall to Washington in 1989), Scott, Anderson, Marbury, Bosh, Thaddeus Young (12th overall to Philadelphia in 2007) and Favors (2nd overall to New Jersey in 2010).
Highest draft pick previously – Kenny Anderson (No. 2 overall to New Jersey in 1991)
Next highest picks – Derrick Favors (No. 3 overall to New Jersey), Stephon Marbury (No. 4 overall to Milwaukee in 1996, traded to Minnesota); Dennis Scott (No. 4 overall to Orlando in 1990); Chris Bosh (No. 4 overall to Toronto in 2003)
Current NBA players – Eight former Tech players were on NBA rosters for the full season in 2009-10. Six of them were active – Chris Bosh, Toronto; Will Bynum, Detroit; Jarrett Jack, Toronto; Anthony Morrow, Golden State; Mario West, Atlanta Hawks; Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia. Another, Alade Aminu, was with the Miami Heat for a 10-day contract.
Eleven players recruited into the Georgia Tech program by head coach Paul Hewitt have been selected in the NBA Draft or signed free agent contracts. Twelve players he has coached at Tech have done so.
Early NBA entries – Ten Tech players have made an early entry into the NBA draft. The other early entries were Dennis Scott (1990), Kenny Anderson (1991), Stephon Marbury (1996), Dion Glover (1998), Chris Bosh (2003), Jarrett Jack (2005), Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton (2007), Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors (2010).
Favors was the third Tech player taken by New Jersey in the history of the draft. Lawal was the third Tech player selected by Phoenix, tying for the most Yellow Jackets taken by one franchise in the history of the draft.
The hometown NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks, has drafted three Georgia Tech players in its history – guard Phil Wagner in 1968 (6th round), guard George Thomas in 1983 (8th round) and guard Dion Glover in 1999 (1st round). Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Seattle (now Oklahoma City) also have selected three Tech players each.
Franchises which have never selected a Tech player in the draft – Charlotte, Cleveland, L.A. Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and San Antonio.
