GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The Atlantic Coast Conference led all conferences with eight players selected in the 2013 NBA draft. Led by Maryland’s Alex Len, the fifth overall pick, four ACC players were chosen in the first round and four in the second round.
For the second time in four years, seven ACC schools had at least one player drafted, with Duke leading the way with two selections.
With its’ four first-round selections, the ACC extends its streak of having at least one first-round draft pick to 25 consecutive years (1989-2013). Over the past five years (2009-2013), the ACC leads all conferences with 26 first round drafts picks; the Big East is second with 21, followed by the Big 12 (19), SEC (18), Pac-12 (14) and the Big Ten (9).
The ACC is the only conference to have had at least four first round picks in each of the past five NBA drafts (2009-2013). Over the past eight years (2006-2013), the ACC has accounted for 17 percent (47 of 269) of the college players selected in the first round.
North Carolina leads all ACC teams with 45 first round selections, Duke is second with 33, Georgia Tech third with 18 … the Blue Devils have had multiple players drafted in each of the past three years.
1st Round
Alex Len, center, Maryland
1st Round/5th overall by Phoenix
Len is the 18th player in Maryland history to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft, the first since Greivis Vasquez was picked 28th overall by Minnesota in 2010, and the highest Terp selected since Stevie Francis was taken No. 2 overall by Vancouver in 1999 … the fifth Maryland player drafted over the last seven years … seventh ACC player drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the first round … honorable mention All-ACC as a sophomore in 2013 … first-team ACC All-Defensive team member this past season … averaged 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game … shot .534 from the floor and .686 from the line.
Shane Larkin, guard, Miami
1st Round/18th overall by Atlanta (traded to Dallas)
Larkin is the fourth Miami player to be selected in the first round and the first since John Salmons was San Antonio’s opening round selection in 2002 … 12th ACC player drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round … named the 2013 ACC Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches … a first-team All-ACC selection and the 2013 ACC Tournament MVP … averaged 14.5 points, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game in leading the Hurricanes to their first-ever ACC title in 2013 … a second-team All-America (AP, NABC, ESPN) in 2013.
Mason Plumlee, center, Duke
1st Round/22nd overall by Brooklyn
Plumlee is the 33rd player from Duke selected in the first round … brother Miles was a first-round selection (26th overall) a year ago by the Indiana Pacers … Plumlee is the fifth Blue Devil over the last three years to be drafted in the first round … seventh ACC player drafted by Brooklyn/New Jersey franchise in the opening round … first-team All-ACC as senior … was second in the ACC in rebounds (10.0), field goal percentage (.599) and third in scoring (17.1) … the 31st player in ACC history to have 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 points in his career … Plumlee is Duke’s 18th first round selection in the last 16 years.
Reggie Bullock, guard, North Carolina
1st Round/25th overall by Los Angeles Clippers
Bullock is the 45th player from North Carolina selected in the opening round, and is the ninth Tar Heel, over the last four years, to be a first round draft pick … Bullock is the first UNC player Heel to be drafted by the Clippers since Joe Wolf in 1987.seventh ACC player drafted by LA Clippers/San Diego/Buffalo franchise in the first round … a second-team All-ACC selection as a junior this past season … averaged 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds … shot .436 from 3-point range … averaged 14.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in ACC play.
2nd Round
Glen Rice, guard, Georgia Tech
2nd Round/35th overall by Philadelphia
Did not play at Georgia Tech during the 2013 season … led the Yellow Jackets in scoring (13.0) and rebounding (6.7) as a sophomore in 2012 … averaged 14.5 points and 6.6 rebounds for the NBDL’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Erick Green, guard, Virginia Tech
2nd Round/46th overall by Utah
First Hokie drafted since Deron Washington by the Pistons in 2008 … the 2013 ACC Player of the Year in voting by the media … became the first ACC player since South Carolina’s Grady Wallace (31.2) in 1956-57 to lead the nation in scoring (25.0) ... Green finished his senior season sixth in the ACC in assists (3.8), ninth in steals (1.9), fourth in free throw percentage (.816), 10th in field goal percentage (.475), ninth in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.75:1) and tied the ACC single-season record with 28 games of 20-or-more points scored.
Ryan Kelly, forward, Duke
2nd Round/48th overall by Los Angeles Lakers
Averaged 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 23 games for the Blue Devils … shot .453 from the floor and .422 from 3-point range as a senior … earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition by the coaches in 2013 … scored 949 points in his career … seventh Blue Devil to be drafted in the past three years.
Lorenzo Brown, guard, NC State
2nd Round/52nd overall by Minnesota
Brown is the first NC State player selected in the NBA draft since J.J. Hickson was a first round pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008 … a second-team All-ACC selection as a junior in 2013 … led the ACC and was sixth nationally in assists per game (7.2) … became the first NC State player to lead the ACC in assists since Chris Corchiani did so in 1991 … fourth on the team in scoring (12.4) … had nine games with 10 or more assists.
by @hokiesmash
