Pac-12 fizzles out after early splash at 2016 NBA draft

UCLA men’s basketball was a no-show at the 2016 NBA draft this past Thursday.

For the third time in the last seven years, the Bruins did not have one player chosen in the 60-pick selection process.

Heading into draft night, prospects for a UCLA draftee were as low as they’ve been in several years. There was only one Bruin who was draft eligible – the team’s lone senior, forward/center Tony Parker – and he was ranked No. 73 on DraftExpress.com’s list of top NCAA seniors.

There hasn’t been any word yet of Parker signing with a team as an undrafted free agent. Several other graduating senior forwards – such as Parker’s close friend and Kentucky alum Alex Poythress – have already signed on to play in the NBA Summer League, which starts July 8.

Parker was the last remaining holdover from UCLA’s decorated 2012 recruiting class, which included three other players who were all eventually drafted in the first round – guard Shabazz Muhammad (14th overall pick in 2013), guard Jordan Adams (22nd pick in 2014) and guard/forward Kyle Anderson (30th pick in 2014). Muhammad and Anderson, along with Parker, were McDonald’s All-Americans back in 2012.

The expectations for Parker were, initially, about as high as they were for the other three players in his class. Parker was the No. 26 overall player in ESPN’s Top 100 for 2012 and the No. 7 center in the class.

However, Parker was never able to maintain consistency while at UCLA. The 6-foot-9 Atlanta native had flashes of brilliance on the offensive end, averaging a double-double for the first 13 games of the 2015-2016 season, but he was never able to eschew his foul troubles on defense. Parker averaged 6.17 fouls per 40 minutes during his 136-game UCLA career.

Around the Pac-12

While UCLA was nowhere to be found on draft night, the rest of the Pac-12 made some noise.

No other NCAA conference had as many players selected in the top-10 as the Pac-12 did, with its three selections. The three Pac-12 players selected were California freshman guard Jaylen Brown at No. 3 overall, Washington freshman forward Marquese Chriss at No. 8, and Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl at No. 9.

After the early explosion, the Pac-12 went relatively silent for the rest of draft. The conference only netted two other draftees the remainder of the night – Washington freshman guard Dejounte Murray at No. 29 overall and California senior guard Tyrone Wallace at No. 60.

With five players drafted overall, the Pac-12 finished behind all four of the other Power-5 conferences. The Atlantic Coast Conference had nine players drafted – the most of any conference – while the Big 12, Big 10 and Southeastern Conference each had six.

UCLA’s draft prospects for 2017

Although UCLA didn’t have any players selected in this year’s NBA draft, it appears likely that the Bruins will make some noise again next year.

The team brings in the consensus No. 1 point guard recruit in the nation this year – Lonzo Ball. The 6-foot-5 Chino Hills, California, native won the MaxPreps National Boys Basketball Player of the Year in April. Ball is widely expected to be a one-and-done player, and NBADraft.net projects Ball to be picked No. 9 overall in the 2017 draft.

Aside from Ball, UCLA has two other potential draft prospects for 2017 in rising senior Isaac Hamilton and rising sophomore Aaron Holiday.

Hamilton, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, took a huge leap on the offensive end this past season. After averaging 10.6 points per game on 40.9 percent shooting as a sophomore, he averaged a team-best 16.8 points on 47.2 percent shooting as a junior. He enters his senior year as one of the top offensive players in the Pac-12, but still has some question marks on the defensive end.

As of now, NBADraft.net does not project Hamilton to be drafted in 2017, but an improvement in on-ball defense and ball handling could significantly boost Hamilton’s chances.

While Hamilton has some work to do on the defensive end, that is one of Holiday’s best assets. The point guard is a little undersized at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, but he makes up for it with his athleticism, quickness and stamina on the floor. As of right now, NBADraft.net projects Holiday to be selected 31st overall in the 2017 draft.

One thing Hamilton and Holiday have on their side is their lineage. Both have two brothers who either play in the NBA or were selected in the NBA draft, with Hamilton’s younger brother Daniel being drafted in the second round this year. This bloodline connection has proven vital in the NBA, as a recent Wall Street Journal study found that 48.8 percent of current NBA players have at least one relative who played either professionally, in the NCAA or for a national team.