4: Number of true centers who have been drafted with the top overall pick since 1990. Ohio State’s Greg Oden could be the fifth. The others:
2005 Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Utah
2002 Yao Ming, Houston China
1998 Michael Olowokandi, L.A. Clippers Pacific
1992 Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando LSU
41: Percent of early-entry candidates who remained in this year’s draft. Officially, 46 of 78 players withdrew their names and went back to college.
84: Percent of first-round picks over the past 20 years who stayed with their team for at least four years.
21: Number of rounds in the 1960 draft, when players were selected until the well went dry. By 1974, the draft was reduced to 10 rounds. It was reduced to seven rounds (in 1985), then to three, and to the current two (in 1989).
15:Number of players out of the 60 drafted in 2006 who spent time in the NBADL last season. Thirty players from the past two drafts were assigned to D-league teams.
SECOND-ROUND SUCCESS
Thinking of tuning out the draft after the first round? Not so fast. Some players who became NBA stars were selected in the second round. General managers have been savvy about finding quality players who don’t require the three-year contract commitment for first-round players. Examples include Manu Ginobili (drafted 57th overall in 1999), Michael Redd (43rd in 2000), Gilbert Arenas (31st in 2001), Mehmet Okur (38th in 2001) and Carlos Boozer (35th in 2002).
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
Eight college seniors were drafted in the first round last year; the first was Duke’s Shelden Williams to Atlanta with the fifth pick. Fifteen players taken in the first round last year had at least three years of college experience.
TOP PICK EQUALS ROOKIE OF YEAR?
Not necessarily. In the past 11 seasons, only four top picks have been rookie of the year. They were LeBron James (selected ROY in 2004), Elton Brand (co-honors, with Steve Francis, 2000), Tim Duncan (1998) and Allen Iverson (1997).
EIGHT FROM FINAL TWO
Eight players from this year’s NCAA championship game could be drafted tonight. They are Florida’s Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green, and Ohio State’s Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook and Ron Lewis.
