Weber State University Athletics
Weber State's NBA Draft history
6/25/2024 2:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Weber State has had 16 players drafted in the NBA Draft, heading into the 2024 draft.
This week, Weber State men's basketball standout Dillon Jones is expected to realize his lifelong dream and be drafted into the NBA. Jones is expected to be drafted in the first or second rounds of the 2024 NBA Draft.
The first round of the draft will be on Wednesday, June 26 at 6 p.m. Mountain time and televised on ABC and ESPN.
New this year, the second round will be on a different day and will be on Thursday, June 27 at 2 p.m. Mountain time, also on ESPN.
Jones is seeking to add to a long history of NBA Draft picks from Weber State, and would be the third draft pick in the last 12 years.
Jones was the Big Sky MVP this past season and had one of the best seasons and careers in WSU and Big Sky history. He also earned first-team All-District honors and finished the regular season leading the Big Sky in points, rebounds, and assists, the only player in the nation to lead a conference in all three categories.
He finished the season averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He was 11th in the nation in double-doubles with 18, eighth in minutes played, and third in defensive rebounds. He was also 23rd in the country in scoring and 23rd in overall rebounds per game.
He ended his career as Weber State's all-time leader in steals and ranks second in assists, second in free throws made, third in rebounding, and fifth in points. He also ranks fourth in Big Sky history in rebounds. He also has 56 career double-doubles, the second-most in WSU history.
He finished his career as the only active player in the country and the only player in Big Sky history with at least 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, and 200 steals. Since the 1992-93 season, he is one of only four players in the nation to post those numbers in a career.
He participated in the NBA Draft Combine in each of the past two years and this week, hopes to see the dream fulfilled of being selected in the NBA.
Weber State has had 16 players selected in the history of the NBA Draft.
The last Wildcat drafted in the NBA was Joel Bolomboy, selected in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2016 draft by the Utah Jazz. Bolomboy played one year with Utah and one year with Milwaukee before a long career in Europe, where he has played in Russia, Greece, and Serbia. Bolomboy was the Big Sky MVP in 2016, and led the Wildcats to the Big Sky Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament that season.
WSU is most well known for Damian Lillard who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, the only Wildcat ever picked in the first round. The 16 draft picks are the most of any team in Big Sky history.
Lillard went on to be the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2013 and is an eight-time NBA All-Star and has been named to the All-NBA team eight times. He was also named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.
The first Wildcat selected in the draft came in 1966 and over the next seven years Weber State had seven draft picks. In 1966 Jerry Trice became the first Wildcat selected and was drafted in the 18th round by the Baltimore Bullets. The 'Cats had two players picked in that year's draft as Gene Visscher, who went on to become a head coach at Weber State, was selected in the 19th round in 1966 also by Baltimore.
Two years later another Wildcat, Dan Sparks, was taken in the fourth round (41st overall) by the Cincinnati Royals. The following year, 1969, Weber State had two more selections. Larry Bergh was taken in the 11th round (146th overall) by the Chicago Bulls and Justus Thigpen was taken with the next pick by the San Diego Rockets.
In 1971, one of the greatest players in Weber State history Willie Sojourner was the highest selection to that point of any Wildcat. Sojourner was taken in the second round (20th overall) by the Chicago Bulls. However, he never played in the NBA but did play four seasons in the ABA with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets. He was traded to the Nets along with Julius "Dr. J." Erving. To this day Sojourner ranks as Weber State's career leading rebounder and is second in Big Sky history with 1,143 career rebounds in 81 career games. He is fifth in WSU history in career scoring. Sojourner passed away in Oct. 2005 in a car accident in Italy where he played professionally and was the head coach of the club team in Rieti.
The highest selection ever for the Wildcats in the NBA Draft came in 1972 when Bob Davis was taken in the second round with the 14th overall pick by the Portland Trailblazers.
In 1976 Al Dewitt was taken in the seventh round (109th overall) also by Portland. The following year Stan Mayhew was taken in the third round (51st overall) by the Indiana Pacers.
History was made in 1980 as three Weber State players were taken in that year's draft. Bruce Collins was selected in the second round with the 33rd overall selection by the Portland Trailblazers. Collins still remains Weber State's all-time leading scorer with 2,019 career points which also ranks third in Big Sky history. He also ranks third in Weber State history in career rebounding. This year Collins, a native of Rock Springs Wyoming, was inducted into the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame.
David Johnson was taken in the fourth round (80th overall) of the 1980 draft by the Dallas Mavericks, just the fourth-ever selection in the history of the Mavericks franchise. In the seventh round of the same draft (159th overall) Richard Smith was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tom Heywood was taken in the sixth round (123rd overall) of the 1983 draft by the Golden State Warriors. The last Weber State player selected in the NBA Draft was Shawn Campbell who was picked in the fifth round of the 1985 draft by the Phoenix Suns.
The first round of the draft will be on Wednesday, June 26 at 6 p.m. Mountain time and televised on ABC and ESPN.
New this year, the second round will be on a different day and will be on Thursday, June 27 at 2 p.m. Mountain time, also on ESPN.
Jones is seeking to add to a long history of NBA Draft picks from Weber State, and would be the third draft pick in the last 12 years.
Jones was the Big Sky MVP this past season and had one of the best seasons and careers in WSU and Big Sky history. He also earned first-team All-District honors and finished the regular season leading the Big Sky in points, rebounds, and assists, the only player in the nation to lead a conference in all three categories.
He finished the season averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He was 11th in the nation in double-doubles with 18, eighth in minutes played, and third in defensive rebounds. He was also 23rd in the country in scoring and 23rd in overall rebounds per game.
He ended his career as Weber State's all-time leader in steals and ranks second in assists, second in free throws made, third in rebounding, and fifth in points. He also ranks fourth in Big Sky history in rebounds. He also has 56 career double-doubles, the second-most in WSU history.
He finished his career as the only active player in the country and the only player in Big Sky history with at least 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, and 200 steals. Since the 1992-93 season, he is one of only four players in the nation to post those numbers in a career.
He participated in the NBA Draft Combine in each of the past two years and this week, hopes to see the dream fulfilled of being selected in the NBA.
Weber State has had 16 players selected in the history of the NBA Draft.
The last Wildcat drafted in the NBA was Joel Bolomboy, selected in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2016 draft by the Utah Jazz. Bolomboy played one year with Utah and one year with Milwaukee before a long career in Europe, where he has played in Russia, Greece, and Serbia. Bolomboy was the Big Sky MVP in 2016, and led the Wildcats to the Big Sky Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament that season.
WSU is most well known for Damian Lillard who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, the only Wildcat ever picked in the first round. The 16 draft picks are the most of any team in Big Sky history.
Lillard went on to be the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2013 and is an eight-time NBA All-Star and has been named to the All-NBA team eight times. He was also named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.
The first Wildcat selected in the draft came in 1966 and over the next seven years Weber State had seven draft picks. In 1966 Jerry Trice became the first Wildcat selected and was drafted in the 18th round by the Baltimore Bullets. The 'Cats had two players picked in that year's draft as Gene Visscher, who went on to become a head coach at Weber State, was selected in the 19th round in 1966 also by Baltimore.
Two years later another Wildcat, Dan Sparks, was taken in the fourth round (41st overall) by the Cincinnati Royals. The following year, 1969, Weber State had two more selections. Larry Bergh was taken in the 11th round (146th overall) by the Chicago Bulls and Justus Thigpen was taken with the next pick by the San Diego Rockets.
In 1971, one of the greatest players in Weber State history Willie Sojourner was the highest selection to that point of any Wildcat. Sojourner was taken in the second round (20th overall) by the Chicago Bulls. However, he never played in the NBA but did play four seasons in the ABA with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets. He was traded to the Nets along with Julius "Dr. J." Erving. To this day Sojourner ranks as Weber State's career leading rebounder and is second in Big Sky history with 1,143 career rebounds in 81 career games. He is fifth in WSU history in career scoring. Sojourner passed away in Oct. 2005 in a car accident in Italy where he played professionally and was the head coach of the club team in Rieti.
The highest selection ever for the Wildcats in the NBA Draft came in 1972 when Bob Davis was taken in the second round with the 14th overall pick by the Portland Trailblazers.
In 1976 Al Dewitt was taken in the seventh round (109th overall) also by Portland. The following year Stan Mayhew was taken in the third round (51st overall) by the Indiana Pacers.
History was made in 1980 as three Weber State players were taken in that year's draft. Bruce Collins was selected in the second round with the 33rd overall selection by the Portland Trailblazers. Collins still remains Weber State's all-time leading scorer with 2,019 career points which also ranks third in Big Sky history. He also ranks third in Weber State history in career rebounding. This year Collins, a native of Rock Springs Wyoming, was inducted into the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame.
David Johnson was taken in the fourth round (80th overall) of the 1980 draft by the Dallas Mavericks, just the fourth-ever selection in the history of the Mavericks franchise. In the seventh round of the same draft (159th overall) Richard Smith was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tom Heywood was taken in the sixth round (123rd overall) of the 1983 draft by the Golden State Warriors. The last Weber State player selected in the NBA Draft was Shawn Campbell who was picked in the fifth round of the 1985 draft by the Phoenix Suns.
Players Mentioned
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