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Players with Virginia ties may be picked in NBA draft

6/27/2015, 12:59 a.m.
Three athletes with state and local ties could figure into the NBA’s annual draft June 25 in Brooklyn, N.Y. The …
Justin Anderson, Treveon Graham, Jarvis Threatt

Three athletes with state and local ties could figure into the NBA’s annual draft June 25 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The best bet to hear his name called is Justin Anderson from Montross in Virginia’s Northern Neck, by way of the University of Virginia.

The versatile 6-foot-6 swingman is one of 47 players foregoing college eligibility to take their chances to be drafted into the NBA.

Anderson averaged 12.2 points and four rebounds as a junior, earning second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors.

Considered an excellent defender, Anderson helped U.Va. lead the nation in the least points allowed per game — 51.4. He missed eight games near the end of the season with a broken finger and to undergo an appendectomy.

Most mock drafts suggest Anderson will be selected in the mid to late first round of the NBA draft.

Treveon Graham of Virginia Commonwealth University is another player who might get picked in Brooklyn.

The 6-foot-6 forward from Leonardtown, Md., averaged 17 points and seven rebounds this past year for VCU, earning All-Atlantic 10 honors. Graham’s 1,882 career points is second highest all time at VCU.

Graham is projected in some mock drafts to be picked late in the draft’s second round. If not, he’ll likely play in the NBA Summer League and sign as a free agent or take a deal overseas.

If drafted, he’ll become VCU’s first NBA draft pick since 2010, when Larry Sanders was tapped in the first round by Milwaukee. The Rams’ Eric Maynor was Utah’s first round pick in 2009.

Also eligible for the draft is former Highland Springs High School star Jarvis Threatt, who left Delaware after two seasons to play for Rio Grande Valley, Texas, in the NBA Developmental League.

The 6-foot-2 Threatt drew acclaim last winter winning the D-League Dunk Contest in Brooklyn. Threatt is rated a long shot to be drafted.

There are just two rounds. Only 30 players will be selected in each round.

The first pick goes to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which likely will make Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky the No. 1 overall pick.

A native of the Dominican Republic, the 6-foot-11 Towns was an All-Southeast Conference honoree as a freshman.

The top pick is guaranteed about $4.7 million in accordance with the NBA Rookie Pay Scale. The 30th and final first round pick will be guaranteed about $911,000.

Only first round selections receive guaranteed money. Second round picks must make the team first before signing a contract.  

Others expected to go in the first handful of picks are several “one and dones” — players who are headed to the NBA after one college season.

They include Duke University’s 6-foot-11 Jahlil Okafor and 6-foot-6 Justise Winslow and Ohio State University’s 6-foot-5 D’Angelo Russell.

Falling into a different category is 6-foot-5 Emmanuel Mudiay. Originally from Zaire, Mudiay moved to the United States and played high school ball in Dallas. Rather than spend a year in college — he had committed to Southern Methodist University — Mudiay played professionally this past season in China.  

Figuring into the top 10 picks might be two international players, 7-foot-1 Kristaps Prozingis from Latvia and 6-foot-8 Mario Hezonja from Croatia.

They are among 11 international players registered for the draft.

Last year’s No. 1 overall pick was Andrew Wiggins, who left Kansas after his freshman season. Wiggins was picked first by the Cleveland Cavaliers and then traded to Minnesota for Kevin Love.

The last five first round picks — Anthony Bennett of Nevada-Las Vegas, Anthony Davis of Kentucky, Kyrie Irving of Duke and John Wall of Kentucky — were “one and dones.”

Blake Griffin was a top pick in 2009 after two seasons at Oklahoma under Coach Jeff Capel III.

Minnesota’s first pick will be followed by the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia, the New York Knicks and Orlando. This year’s NBA champion Golden State Warriors will pick last in the first round.