June 23, 2011
Shumpert’s Georgia Tech bio and career statistics
NBA Draft official site
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s Iman Shumpert, who entered his name in the NBA Draft following his recently-completed junior season with the Yellow Jackets, was made the 17th pick of the first round Thursday night by the New York Knicks at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Shumpert is the 18th Georgia Tech player to be selected in the first round of the draft, and the 16th since 1989. Shumpert also is just the second Tech player ever selected by the Knicks (Dave Denton, 6th round, 1960).
The 6-5, 222-pound guard from Oak Park, Ill., impressed scouts at the recent NBA draft combined and worked out for several teams, but the Knicks selected the 2011 ACC All-Defensive team performer for his defensive skills and physical ability. His draft projections varied greatly, from a high of No. 17 in the first round to New York to as low at No. 51 to Portland. An NBA.com projection by Scott Howard-Cooper had Shumpert going No. 43 overall to his hometown Chicago Bulls, and another projection made him the 23rd pick overall to Houston.
A second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2011, Shumpert finished his career No. 32 on Georgia Tech’s all-time scoring list with 1,166 points. He also climbed to 11th place on Tech’s career list for assists (382) and 4th in steals (207).
In 2011, he achieved a rare feat by becoming only the fourth player in ACC history to lead his team in scoring (17.3 points per game), rebounds (5.9), assists (3.5) and steals (2.7). He ranked fourth in the conference in scoring average, 15th in rebound average, 10th in assists and first in steals. He also was among the top 10 in free throw and field goal percentages.
He scored in double figures 55 times in 92 career games, and recorded the fourth triple-double in Tech history against Virginia Tech on Jan. 25, scoring 22 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists. It is the only triple-double ever for a Tech player against an ACC opponent.
It is the second straight year that a Tech player has been selected in the first round. Derrick Favors, a 6-10 forward from Atlanta, was taken in the first round last year by New Jersey and then traded at mid-season of his rookie year to Utah. Other recent first-round choices include forward Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia) and point guard Javaris Crittenton (Los Angeles) in 2007, point guard Jarrett Jack (Portland) in 2006, and forward Chris Bosh (Toronto) in 2003.
Seven Georgia Tech alumni were active on NBA rosters in the 2010-11 season, including Bosh (now with Miami), Will Bynum (Detroit), Jack (now with New Orleans), Gani Lawal (Phoenix), Anthony Morrow (New Jersey), Young and Mario West (New Jersey).
Following is a quick history of Georgia Tech in the NBA Draft (updated) …
First-round picks – Georgia Tech has had 18 players taken in the first round overall, more than any ACC school except Duke and North Carolina, 16 of them since 1989. Two Georgia Tech players been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in the same year once – 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. They are: John Salley (11th overall to Detroit, 1985), Tom Hammonds (9th overall to Washington in 1989), Dennis Scott (4th to Orlando in 1990), Kenny Anderson (2nd to New Jersey in 1991), Stephon Marbury (4th to Milwaukee in 1996), Chris Bosh (4th to Toronto in 2003), Thaddeus Young (12th overall to Philadelphia in 2007) and Derrick Favors (3rd overall to New Jersey in 2010).
Highest draft pick – 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)
Early NBA entries – Iman Shumpert is the 11th Tech player to make 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).
Draft choices by team – 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), while New Jersey, Phoenix, 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, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and San Antonio.
