Meeks Drafted in Second Round by Bucks
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Former UK men's basketball All-American Jodie Meeks was selected in the second round (41st overall) of Thursday night's NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Meeks led the SEC and ranked eighth in the country in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game. He set the school record for points in a game (54 at Tennessee) and three-pointers in a season (117), while also shooting an SEC best 90.2 percent from the free throw line. Starting all 36 games last season, Meeks led the SEC in two other offensive categories including three-point field goal percentage (40.6) and three-point field goals per game (3.25).
“I'm happy for Jodie,” said UK head coach John Calipari. “Milwaukee is a great city and organization. (Milwaukee Director of Player Personnel) Dave Babcock had been in touch with me during the week, so I knew how much they liked him. We wish him well.”
A Second-Team All-American, Meeks had the top three scoring games nationally in regulation (54, 46, 45 points). He became the first player in SEC history to win SEC Player of the Week honors four times in a single-season.
He became the first Wildcat to be drafted by the Bucks since Keith Bogans was picked in the second round (43rd overall) in the 2003 draft.
Meeks is also the 92nd Wildcat to be drafted into the NBA and the sixth former UK player to be drafted since 2000. His is also the first Wildcat underclassmen to be selected in the draft since Rajon Rondo in 2006.
MARCUS THORNTON TAKEN WITH 43RD PICK IN THE NBA DRAFT; THEN TRADED TO NEW ORLEANS
NEW YORK -- Marcus Thornton made it five straight years that an LSU Tiger was chosen in the National Basketball Association draft Thursday night when the Baton Rouge guard was chosen in the second round of the nationally-televised draft.
Thornton's selection came some four hours into the draft, by the Miami Heat with the 13th pick of the second round, the 43rd pick overall in the 60-pick draft.
However, approximately 15 minutes after the selection was made, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver came to the podium and announced that Thornton's draft rights had been conveyed to the New Orleans Hornets for two future second round draft picks. Thornton did work out for the Hornets in recent weeks and received some complimentary reviews from New Orleans head coach Byron Scott.
The Hornets did not have a second round pick to select Thornton with if that was how they wished to go.
In the five-year run of selections, the Tigers had Brandon Bass selected in 2005, Tyrus Thomas in 2006, Glen Davis in 2007, Anthony Randolph in 2008 and Thornton in 2009. Thomas and Randolph were first round picks.
The 6-5 Thornton averaged 21.1 points this past season and earned consensus Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors and second team All-American honors.
Bass, who was a second round pick of the Hornets, was the last LSU player to suit up for the Hornets before he signed with the Dallas Mavericks.
Timberwolves Select Calathes In Second Round of NBA Draft
Gainesville, Fla. -- University of Florida point guard Nick Calathes was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 45th pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night. Calathes became the 13th Gator drafted under head coach Billy Donovan.
Calathes became the third Gator since 2007 to be drafted by the Timberwolves, joining Corey Brewer (1st round, 7th overall pick in 2007) and Chris Richard (2nd round, 41st overall pick in 2007).
He has already signed a professional deal with Panathinaikos, a powerful Euroleague team in Greece, putting his NBA career on hold for the time being.
Florida has now had at least one player drafted six of the past seven years and the Gators have now had an SEC-leading 12 players drafted since 2000 alone.
Calathes led UF in scoring in each of his two seasons in Gainesville and was a First-Team All-SEC selection this season after sharing Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honors a year ago.
He broke the school record for assists in each of his two seasons at UF, totaling 221 as a freshman and 231 this past season. He led the SEC in assists and assists per game both years. Over his two years at Florida he finished with 1,170 points, the highest freshman-sophomore total in Gator history.
Calathes led UF in scoring at 17.2 points per game, assists at 6.4 per contest and in steals with 68. He was the only player in the nation to average better than 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game last season.
Calathes had two triple-doubles in his career and is the only player in UF history to record multiple triple-doubles.