Johnson, Hollis-Jefferson Taken in First Round of NBA Draft
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Arizona men’s basketball program sent two more representatives into the NBA ranks on Thursday night, as former Wildcat stars Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had their names called in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center.
Johnson became the 20th first-round pick and 13th lottery pick in UA history when the Detroit Pistons selected him eighth overall. The Fullerton, Calif., native’s draft position made Arizona one of just five programs nationally to have three top-10 draft picks since 2011 (Derrick Williams – 2nd in 2011; Aaron Gordon – 4th in 2014).
With Johnson’s selection in the 2015 lottery, 11 of the Wildcats’ last 14 first-round picks have been lottery selections.
Hollis-Jefferson became the 21st first-round pick in program history on Thursday, hearing his name called for the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 23 overall. With his selection, Hollis-Jefferson gave UA multiple first-round picks in the same year for the third time in program history (also 1989 and 1998).
The Chester, Pa., native was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets later in the evening as part of a four-player trade.
Under the direction of head coach Sean Miller, Arizona has produced seven NBA draft picks in six years, including five first-round selections. The Wildcats have had six draft picks in the last three years, including four first-rounders and two lottery picks.
UA has had at least one player drafted in 23 of the last 28 drafts, including 19 first-round choices and 13 lottery picks over that time. Arizona has produced a total of 69 NBA Draft picks in the history of the program.
Johnson spent just one season in Tucson but left an indelible mark on the program, winning the inaugural Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, garnering USBWA Freshman All-America recognition and claiming third-team All-America honors from the NABC. He was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and was the lone freshman on the All-Pac-12 first team after leading Arizona in scoring (13.8/game) and ranking second on the team in both rebounds (6.5/game) and steals (1.5/game).
He was also named MVP of the 2014 Maui Jim Maui Invitational after leading the Wildcats’ to their second-ever title at the event, and was an all-tournament team selection at the Pac-12 Tournament for his efforts in helping UA claim its first crown since 2002.
The Fullerton, Calif., native was one of just two freshmen in the power six basketball conferences to average at least 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, alongside Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.
“I’m excited for Stanley to join the Pistons and begin the next phase of his career,” Miller said. “He is an exceptional student of the game and he told me he wanted to be pushed during his time at Arizona, so I don’t believe I’ve ever coached a player harder than him. Combine those attributes with his tremendous physical skills and you have the makings of a dynamic professional career.”
Hollis-Jefferson was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team as a sophomore after averaging 11.2 points and team highs of 6.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game. He was an all-tournament team pick at the NCAA West Regional, the Pac-12 Tournament and the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
A 2014 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection, Hollis-Jefferson finished his tenure at UA with averages of 10.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 76 games. He posted six double-doubles in two seasons with the Wildcats, leading the team to Elite Eight appearances in both of those campaigns.
“The Nets are getting both a great player and a great person in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson,” Miller said. “Rondae is one of those people who can bring a smile to everyone’s face. In addition to his tremendous work ethic, Rondae plays a team game and respects winning above all else. He is far from being a finished product and I’m excited to see how his game develops in the coming years through hard work and dedication.”
For the latest updates on Arizona men’s basketball and an inside look at the program, follow @APlayersProgram on Twitter and @aplayersprogram on Instagram.
