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QUOTE OF THE DAY
"At one occasion law enforcement had Mr. Villeaure this basketball season at the Sprint Center sitting behind the KU basketball bench with a number of the players. So we know that he had probably not only a personal relationship with them but a professional relationship as well."
—Federal prosecutor Terra Morehead on Samuel Villeareal III, who she says supplied the 2010-2011 KU basketball team with marjuanj
NBA
marijuana
Source: Kansas City Star
FACT OF THE DAY
No seniors were taken with the first 14 lottery picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. North Carolina's Tyler Zeller was the first senior taken with the 17th pick of the draft to the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Source: NBA.com
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: While Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse may be the loudest arena in college sports, what university has the largest seating capacity for basketball games?
A: Syracuse University's Carrier Dome has 33,000 seats compared to Allen Fieldhouse's 16,300.
Source: ESPN Sports Almanac, KU Athletics
MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012
DRAFT SUCCESS
VIKAAS SHANKER
vshanker@kansan.com
ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIRAJ AMIN
vamin@kansan.com
Kansas forward Thomas Robinson was selected in the first round with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, making him the highest drafted player in the Bill Self era at Kansas. Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor was selected with the 11th pick of the second round by the Portland Trailblazers, but was immediately traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Sacramento Kings first-round draft pick Thomas Robinson is introduced to media at Power Balance Pavilion Saturday, June 30, 2012, in Sacramento, Calif.
Holding back the tears, Robinson said only a few strong words after he was picked.
"I'm just glad to be here," he said in an interview after stepping off stage. "I've got work to do."
The 6-8 forward averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds during his junior year at Kansas. Robinson was a consensus 1st team All-American and runner-up to the Naismith National Player of the Year award, which went to Anthony Davis of Kentucky, who was the first overall pick in the draft.
Robinson will join a team led by guard Tyreke Evans, a former rookie of the year, and center DeMarcus Cousins, the fifth pick of the 2010 NBA draft.
In his post-draft interview with Craig Sager from NBA on TNT, Robinson was still overcome with emotions.
"I earned this," Robinson said.
"I worked for it. There's nothing — can't nobody take that from me."
Taylor was expected to get drafted late in the first round or early second round, but he was prepared for any outcome.
"It's weird, because I thought to myself at the beginning of the draft that I probably would get drafted by a team that I didn't work out for," Taylor said in a teleconference after the draft. "And that's exactly the case with Brooklyn."
Since Taylor was drafted in the second round, he is not guaranteed a contract for the upcoming season. However, Taylor believes the experience he gained at Kansas will help him at the next level.
The 6-3 guard averaged 16.6 points and 4.8 assists his senior year at Kansas. Taylor was a third team All-American and first team All-Big 12.
"I feel like I have the opportunity anyway because of what I can bring for a team. I can defend," Taylor said. "Being a four-year player at a university like Kansas, I think, gives me a step up in competition of coming into the league ready — ready to play right now."
Kansas head coach Bill Self said Taylor's relentless work ethic will help him stick in the league.
"He's not scared of work," Self said. "And his athletic ability and his talent will win out over time because all he's got to do is just be who he is."
The Nets were from New Jersey, where Taylor grew up, but now the team has a new owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who moved the Nets to Brooklyn, N.Y.
"I'm really excited about the new opportunity," Taylor said. "You know, a new arena, a new program. They are trying to start over."
The Nets are also part-owned by record producer Jay-Z. "I haven't met him" Taylor said, "but I'm looking forward to it."
Taylor will join a former Bill Self recruit, point guard Deron Williams, in the backcourt. Taylor will play under head coach Avery Johnson.
- Edited by Megan Hinman
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Tyshawn Taylor drives the ball up the court during the first half of the NCAA National Championship on April 2nd. Taylor was drafted into the NBA as a new member of the Brooklyn Nets last Thursday.
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