THE FLATS – Georgia Tech sophomore Josh Okogie became the first Yellow Jacket in seven years to be selected in the first round of the National Basketball Association Draft when the Minnesota Timberwolves tabbed him with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday evening in Brooklyn, N.Y.
With the 20th pick in the first round, the @Timberwolves select JOSH OKOGIE ???@CallMe_NonStop makes 1️⃣9️⃣ first round #NBADraft picks in program history ?#Wolves #TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/m3oeCVEEnc
— GT Men's Basketball (@GTMBB) June 22, 2018
“It’s just the best moment of my life, by far,” @CallMe_NonStop said, his eyes wet with tears and his voice quivering. #NBADraft
(via @ksugiuraajc & @AJCsports)https://t.co/s785Wsrpv9
— GT Men's Basketball (@GTMBB) June 22, 2018
Meet first round draft pick Josh Okogie (via @PioneerPress) #ProJackets #NBADraft https://t.co/3ORnFtAGk6
— GT Men's Basketball (@GTMBB) June 22, 2018
Okogie, a 6-4 guard, is the Yellow Jackets’ 19th first-round draft pick all-time and their first since Iman Shumpert was selected 17th overall by the New York Knicks in 2011.
The moment for @CallMe_NonStop. pic.twitter.com/QzcLxcudIq
— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) June 22, 2018
“Josh is a tremendous young man and an excellent student-athlete,” Georgia Tech men’s basketball head coach Josh Pastner said. “He has set a tremendous example, making the Dean’s List this past semester, and deserves a lot of credit for making himself a much better player over the course of his two years here.”
Okogie earned third-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a sophomore in 2017-18 after ranking fourth in the conference in scoring with 18.2 points per game. He was a member of the ACC’s all-freshman team in 2016-17 and finished his two-year collegiate career with a 16.9-point scoring average. He scored 1,033 points in 61 games at Tech, becoming one of only eight Yellow Jackets to ever surpass the 1,000-point mark in just two seasons.
He is Georgia Tech’s 12th all-time early entry in the NBA Draft and cemented his status as a likely first-round pick with an outstanding performance at the NBA Combine in May.
Congrats @CallMe_NonStop
You have showed hard work truly pays off. I remember watching you this past season and knew you’d be a problem on the court. You deserve it! @GTMBB— Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) June 22, 2018
Okogie becomes the sixth former Yellow Jacket currently in the NBA and joins Georgia Tech alumnus Marcus Georges-Hunt on the Timberwolves’ roster.
Congrats to @CallMe_NonStop and his family truly deserve this moment. Another ?? in the league. #blessed #TogetherWeSwarm #NBADraft2018
— Marcus Georges-Hunt (@GTMGH3) June 22, 2018
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is beginning its third year under head coach Josh Pastner. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won three ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993), played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram.
