For the second-straight season, a Kansas men’s basketball player was taken in the top-10 as NBA Commissioner David Stern announced Ben McLemore was selected seventh overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2013 NBA Draft Thursday night at the Barclays Center.
McLemore, who was joined by head coach Bill Self in the “Green Room,” became the 29th first-round draft pick in Kansas men’s basketball history and marks the fourth-straight season a Jayhawk has been selected in the first round. The seventh overall pick marks the second-straight season that a Jayhawk has gone in the top-10 overall, both of which coming from Sacramento. The Kings selected Thomas Robinson fifth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.
“He means a lot to me as far a maturity and helping me grow as a person on and off the court,” McLemore said to ESPN analyst Shane Battier regarding Self. “We have a good bond with each other and the staff. I enjoyed playing for Coach Self.
KU is among the top-five for producing the most NBA Draft picks in the nation with 18 drafted over the last decade. Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, KU has had 24 players drafted to the NBA, which is the most of any league member. KU has sent 28 players to the NBA during the past 20 years, passing North Carolina for third-most among all NCAA Division I schools and only trails Kentucky (31) and Duke (29). Playing for the Kings, McLemore will join Cole Aldrich as former Jayhawks on the roster.
The second guard selected in the 2013 draft class, McLemore was a Consensus All-America Second Team selection and an All-Big 12 First Team honoree. He led Kansas in scoring in 2012-13 with 15.9 points per game, good for third in the Big 12. The 6-foot-5 St. Louis, Mo., native led the Big 12 with an 87.0 free throw percentage and also ranked among the league leaders in field-goal percentage (49.5, 8th), three-point field goal percentage (42.0, 2nd), three-point field goals made (2.0, 6th) and rebounds (5.2, 20th).
Additionally, McLemore’s 15.9 points per game this season broke the KU freshman record of 14.6 ppg posted by Jayhawk legend Danny Manning in 1985. McLemore’s 589 points and his 87.0 free throw percentage also broke KU freshman marks, previously held by Manning and Greg Gurley, respectively.
McLemore had 11 games of 20 points or more in 2012-13, including three 30-point contests. His 36 points against West Virginia (3/2) broke the KU freshman single-game scoring record and his three 30-point efforts also set a KU freshman single-season mark.
During the 2012-13 season, McLemore was a three-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and was named the league’s Player of the Week on Jan. 14. He became only the second Jayhawk in the 17-year history of the Big 12 to have earned Big 12 Player and Rookie of the Week in the same season. Mario Chalmers also accomplished the feat during the 2005-06 season.
— KU Sports Information —