NEW YORK CITY – The long and rich history of Arizona Basketball and the NBA Draft added a historic chapter on Thursday evening. Deandre Ayton became the first Wildcat in school history to be taken with the No. 1 overall pick when the Phoenix Suns selected the freshman with the first pick of the 2018 NBA Draft. UA had previously boasted a pair of No. 2 overall picks with Derrick Williams in the 2011 and Mike Bibby in 1998.
 
Ayton's lone season at the University of Arizona was as historic as it was noteworthy as he became the first player in the history of the Pac-12 Conference to be named Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Tournament Most Outstanding Player in the same season. The 7-foot-1-inch Bahamas native averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game while shooting 61.2 percent from the field en route to becoming a consensus First Team All-American.
 
The freshman represents Arizona's 23^rd first round pick in NBA Draft history and the fifth Wildcat to go in the top ten of the draft during the Sean Miller era of 2009 to present.