With Hickson’s selection by the Cavaliers, the ACC has had at least one first round draft pick in each of the last 20 NBA drafts … the last time that the ACC did not have a player selected in the first round of the NBA draft was 20 years ago (1988) … Hickson is the 420th ACC player to be selected in the NBA draft, including 149 first round draft pick.
Previous NC State First-Round Selections
2006-Cedric Simmons (New Orleans)
2005-Julius Hodge (Denver)
1996-Todd Fuller (Golden State)
1992-Tom Gugliotta (Washington)
1986-Chris Washburn (Golden State)
1983-Thurl Bailey (Utah)
1980-Charles “Hawkeye” Whitney (Kansas City)
1977-Kenny Carr (Los Angeles Lakers)
1975-David Thompson (Atlanta)
1974-Tommy Burleson (Seattle)
1959-John Ritcher (Boston)
1956-Ronnie Shavlik (New York)
1951-Sammy Ranzino (Rochester)
J.J. Hickson, NC State, 6-9, 235-pound Forward – First Round (19th overall) by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Hickson is the third NC State player in the last four years, and 14th overall, to be selected in the first round … a unanimous first All-ACC Freshman team selection … led all ACC freshmen in scoring (14.8) a year ago … also led the ACC and was 18th nationally in field goal percentage (.591) … finished second in the ACC and was 50th nationally averaging 8.5 rebounds per game … the 8.5 rebounds per game average ranked 11th all-time among ACC freshmen … set an ACC freshman record scoring 31 points in his first collegiate game … made all 12 of his field goal attempts and pulled down seven rebounds in State’s 66-47 win over William & Mary on Nov. 15, 2007 … set a second ACC freshman single-game record with 23 rebounds in a 71-64 loss to Clemson on Feb. 16 … is the 16th ACC player selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, including five first-round selections.
Sean Singletary, Virginia, 6-0, 185-pound Guard – Second Round (42nd overall) by the Sacramento Kings
Singletary is the first Virginia player selected in the NBA draft since Roger Mason was chosen by the Chicago Bulls in 2002 … the Cavaliers first three-time All-ACC selection since Bryant Stith (1990-92), Singletary was third in the ACC in scoring (19.8) and second in assists (6.1) in 2008 … scored 20 or more points 43 times in his career … finished his career scoring 10 or more points in 55 straight games and in 92 of his last 98 … finished fifth on the Cavaliers’ all-time scoring list with 2,079 points and started all 123 games he has played in at Virginia … Singletary is the only player in ACC history to have 2,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals in his career … is the 33rd player from Virginia to be selected in the NBA draft.
James Gist, Maryland, 6-8, 233-pound Forward – Second Round (57th Overall) by the San Antonio Spurs
Gist is the third ACC player selected in the 2008 draft … marks the second-straight year that a Maryland player has been drafted … D.J. Strawberry was drafted by Phoenix in the second round a year ago … was a second-team All-ACC selection as a senior in 2008 after earning honorable mention honors as a junior in 2007 … was eighth in the ACC in scoring (15.9), fourth in rebounding (7.9), second in blocked shots (2.3) and third in field goal percentage (.496) … finished 17th on Maryland’s career scoring list with 1,414 points, 11th in rebounds (783) and fourth in blocked shots (231) … Gist is the 56th player from Maryland to be selected in the NBA draft.
Deron Washington, 6-6, 199-pound Forward – Second Round (59th overall) by the Detroit Pistons
The first Virginia Tech player to be drafted since the Utah Jazz selected Eddie Lucas in the second round in 1999 … Washington is the 25th Virginia Tech player selected in the NBA draft and the 18th ACC player drafted by the Detroit Pistons … averaged 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a senior in 2008 and earned honorable mention All-ACC … a four-year starter at Virginia Tech, Washington finished his career with 124 starts, 1,408 points, 689 rebounds and 115 blocked shots.