Patton, Hart, Sumner Chosen In NBA Draft
NEW YORK – Creighton’s Justin Patton, Villanova’s Josh Hart and Xavier’s Edmond Sumner were the three BIG EAST players selected in the 2017 NBA Draft. Patton and Hart were taken in the first round and Sumner was a second-round pick at the draft held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Patton, a 7-0 center who was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year this past season, was taken 16
th overall by the Chicago Bulls, then immediately traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. For Creighton, Patton averaged 12.9 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game. He made 67.6 percent of his field goal attempts, which ranked second in the nation. Patton also was named All-BIG EAST Second Team.
Hart, a 6-5 guard who was the BIG EAST Player of the Year, was the 30
th and final pick of the first round. He was selected by the Utah Jazz, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. A 2016-17 consensus first team all-American, Hart averaged 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds while leading the Wildcats to a 32-4 record and the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. He also became only the third player in BIG EAST history to win the Dave Gavitt Trophy twice as the Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Tournament.
Sumner was selected in the second round and 52nd overall by the New Orleans Pelicans then dealt to the Indiana Pacers. Sumner was drafted despite suffering a torn ACL injury in a game on Jan. 29 which caused him to the miss the remainder of the season. The 6-6 guard averaged 15.0 points and a team-leading 5.0 assists. He was a Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection. Xavier has had 10 players drafted in the last 20 years.