University of Connecticut Athletics
Thabeet and Price Selected in 2009 NBA Draft
6/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 25, 2009
New York, N.Y. - University of Connecticut junior center Hasheem Thabeet (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft Thursday night by the Memphis Grizzlies, matching the highest ever selection for a Husky, while senior A.J. Price (Amityville, N.Y.) was taken in the second round with the 52nd pick by the Indiana Pacers.
Thabeet was a first team All-American selection in 2008-09 and a two-time National and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year pick at UConn. He shared BIG EAST Player of the Year honors in 2008-09 with DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh. He matches Emeka Okafor's selection in the No. 2 spot in the 2004 NBA Draft as the highest Husky taken.
Thabeet becomes the tenth UConn player selected in the NBA Draft Lottery portion of the First Round and is the 15th First Round selection at Connecticut under Jim Calhoun. He is the first Husky selected since the 2006 NBA Draft, when UConn had five total players taken, including four in the first round and two in the lottery.
Price was a 2007-08 All-American pick and recovered from a torn ACL to earn All-BIG EAST honors in 2008-09 and was named the Most Outstanding performer of the West Regional, leading UConn to the 2009 NCAA Final Four.
