Wake Forest and the NBA Draft
Wake's Johnson and Teague likely to be first-round selections on Thursday

June 24, 2009

Video: Gaudio on the 2009 NBA Draft

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The 2009 NBA Draft is set for Thursday evening at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Wake Forest's James Johnson and Jeff Teague will likely be first-round selections.

Johnson and Teague are set to become the first set of Demon Deacons to be chosen in the same draft since 1984. That season Wake Forest's Danny Young and Anthony Teachey were taken with back-to-back picks by the Seattle Supersonics and Dallas Mavericks in the second round.

Johnson and Teague have the potential to be the first-ever Wake Forest duo to be drafted in the first round of the same draft.

Wake Forest has also had two or more players drafted in 1971 (Gil McGregor, Charlie Davis), 1977 (Skip Brown, Jerry Schellenberg), 1978 (Rod Griffin, Leroy McDonald), 1982 (Guy Morgan, Jim Johnstone, Mike Helms) and 1985 (Kenny Green, Delaney Rudd).

The last Deacon to be drafted into the NBA was point guard Chris Paul, who was taken with the fourth overall selection of the 2005 Draft.

Tim Duncan was the highest-picked Deacon ever after being taken No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 1997.

Four former Deacons are currently playing in the NBA. In addition to Duncan of the Spurs and Paul of the Hornets, Wake Forest alums include Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks and Darius Songaila of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Songaila was traded to the Timberwolves from the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Wake Forest NBA Draft Notes
- 11 Demon Deacons have been first-round selections, most recently Chris Paul, the No. 4 overall pick in 2005.
- The NBA team which has selected the most Wake Forest players is the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards). The Washington franchise has drafted four Deacons: Muggsy Bogues (1987), Kenny Green (1985), Frank Johnson (1981) and Jerry Schellenberg (1977).
- Since 2002, three Wake Forest players have been drafted - Darius Songaila by Boston in the second round of the 2002 Draft, Josh Howard by Dallas in the first round of the 2003 Draft and Chris Paul by New Orleans in 2005.
- Three Deacons - Tim Duncan, the first overall pick in 1997, Paul, the fourth pick in 2005, and Len Chappell, the fifth pick in 1962 - have been taken in the top five.
- Wake Forest had a record three players drafted in 1982 - Guy Morgan (2nd round), Jim Johnstone (3rd) and Mike Helms (7th).
- Five times in draft history have two Deacons been selected in the same year -- 1977, 1971, 1985, 1978 and 1984.

Highest-Drafted Deacons
Tim Duncan, 1st overall by San Antonio in 1997
Chris Paul, 4th overall by New Orleans in 2005
Len Chappell, 5th overall by Syracuse in 1962
Rodney Rogers, 9th overall by Denver in 1993
Dave Budd, *10th overall by New York in 1960
Frank Johnson, 11th overall by Washington in 1981
Muggsy Bogues, 12th overall by Washington in 1987
Kenny Green, 12th overall by Washington in 1985
Dickie Hemric, *12th overall by Boston in 1955
Rod Griffin, 17th overall by Denver in 1978
Randolph Childress, 19th overall by Detroit in 1995
Ronnie Watts, *20th overall by Boston in 1965
Josh Howard, 29th overall by Dallas in 2003
*Second round