Anunoby Selected In First Round of NBA Draft By Toronto Raptors; Bryant Headed To Lakers
6/22/2017 11:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana – Forward OG Anunoby and center Thomas Bryant were selected in the 2017 NBA Draft, giving the Hoosiers a Big Ten best 76 selections since the league initiated the draft in 1947.
Anunoby, who saw his Indiana men's basketball career end due to a knee injury this past season, was selected with the 23rd pick of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. He is the Hoosiers 24th first round pick, which is tied for most among Big Ten schools. He also is the first Hoosier ever picked by the Raptors.
Anunoby came to IU as an unheralded recruit but quickly made an impression with his athleticism and defensive ability, especially in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. He suffered a season-ending knee injury on January 18 at Penn State. He started 10 of 16 games this season and averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. His best game of the year came with a 16-point, five-rebounds, two-block effort in a win over eventual national champion North Carolina. He injured his ankle late in that game and missed the next three games. He also had 21 blocked shots and 21 steals. He came into this season as a Preseason All-American.
The @Raptors select @OAnunoby with the 23rd pick in the @NBA Draft! #ProIU ???? https://t.co/MnzEoohJPq
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) June 23, 2017
Keepin' it OG at 23.
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) June 23, 2017
Welcome to the Raps, @OAnunoby!#WeTheNorth | #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/I45HLJxuGS
As a freshman, he averaged 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds and shot 44.8 percent for a team that won the Big Ten title. He had 13 points in the Big Ten Tournament against Michigan and 14 against Chattanooga in the NCAA Tournament.
Bryant was chosen with the 42nd pick by the Utah Jazz who then sent the pick to the Los Angeles Laker in a trade. He was a Preseason All-American this past year.
Bryant was a two-time third-team All-Big Ten selection and holds the IU career-record for field goal percentage at 59.2% and averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds this past year. He started all 69 games that he has played in and also became a threat from the outside making 38.3 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts hitting on 23-of-60 attempts after making just five treys a year ago. He was 10th in the Big Ten in rebounding and fifth in blocked shots with a team-high 52 blocks.
As a freshman on the Big Ten title squad, he played in and started all 35 games. He averaged 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds , received Third Team All-Big Ten accolades from the coaches and Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by the media. He also was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. He registered 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, five rebounds, two steals, and a block against Kentucky in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
With the 42nd pick in the NBA Draft, the @utahjazz selected @nolimittb31. His rights were then traded to the @Lakers. Congrats TB! ???? pic.twitter.com/MWi88EF4Ly
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) June 23, 2017
OFFICIAL: Josh Hart and Thomas Bryant join the #LakeShow via trade with Utah. pic.twitter.com/O3USsljiOM
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 23, 2017
