University of Memphis
The Sacramento Kings selected Tyreke Evans with the fourth overall pick on Thursday night in New York City
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Making history has become commonplace for the University of Memphis basketball program the past few seasons, and Thursday night, it made a little more when the Sacramento Kings selected the Tigers' Tyreke Evans with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft.
With Evans as the No. 4 pick, the Tigers have had NBA lottery selections in back-to-back years for the first time in the program's history. Last year, Chicago picked Derrick Rose with the No. 1 overall pick. Evans is the sixth Memphis player to be an NBA lottery pick since it started in 1985. Other Tigers taken as NBA lottery selections were Rose (No. 1 in 2008), Dajuan Wagner (No. 6 in 2002), Lorenzen Wright (No. 7 in 1996), Anfernee Hardaway (No. 3 in 1993) and William Bedford (No. 6 in 1986).
Evans was college basketball's 2008-09 consensus National Freshman of the Year, taking home seven National Freshman of the Year awards. He received the National Freshman of the Year accolade from ESPN.com, U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), The Sporting News, CBSSports.com, FoxSports.com, CollegeHoops.net and NaismithLives.com. Evans is the first freshman in Tiger basketball history to earn consensus National Freshman of Year distinction.
The 6-foot-6 guard was named to five Freshman All-America teams, including CollegeHoops.net, NaismithLives.com, The Sporting News, CBSSports.com and FoxSports.com.
CollegeHoops.net also named Evans its High-Major National Player of the Year and also selected him a High-Major All-America first team pick. The web site's High-Major group includes the following conferences - Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Western Athletic and West Coast. The Chester, Pa., native was a CollegeHoops.net National All-America honorable mention pick.
Evans was also a finalist for the 2008-09 Wooden Award and Oscar Robertson Trophy - both National Player of the Year honors. He was the only freshman to be listed among the finalists for both awards.
The honors began rolling in for Evans while the Tigers were playing in the postseason in March. He was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and earned All-C-USA first team accolades. Evans was also selected to the USBWA All-District 4 Team and the NABC All-District 11 first team. Sports Illustrated and CBSSports.com also named Evans an All-America third team pick.
Evans, the 2009 C-USA Tournament MVP, led the Tigers in scoring (17.1 ppg) and steals (77). He averaged 5.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 71.1 percent from the free throw line. The nine-time Conference USA Rookie of the Week finished the 2008-09 season ranked among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, assists and steals.
He finished 2008-09 first on the Memphis all-time freshman steals list with 77 swipes (eighth-most on the Tiger career list). He is also second on the Tiger all-time freshman scoring chart with 632 points.
