Fresno State Athletics
Ely Selected by Clippers With 12th Pick of NBA Draft
6/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 26, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - Former Bulldog standout center Melvin Ely was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 12th pick of the first round of the National Basketball Association Draft on Wednesday. Ely becomes the highest drafted Fresno State men's basketball player ever, surpassing Courtney Alexander who was the 13th choice of the 2000 Draft.
Ely, a native of Chicago, Ill., helped lead the Bulldogs to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2000 and '01. As a junior in 2001, he was the WAC Player of the Year after averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He led the conference in field goal percentage that year, as well. Last season, Ely played in 28 games and led Fresno State with a 23.3 scoring average. He also added 9.1 boards per contest and was the conference player of the year for a second consecutive season. He was a candidate for the Wooden Award as college basketball's top player.
Ely was not the only Bulldog chosen in the draft. Guard Chris Jefferies was selected with the 27th overall pick by the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. Later on the evening of the draft, Jefferies, along with guard Lindsay Hunter, was traded to the Toronto Raptors for small forward Tracy Murray and former Missouri standout Kareem Rush, who was the No. 20 pick.
A native of Fresno, Calif., Jefferies played in 21 games and averaged 17.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He missed the last part of the season with an injured knee.
The duo of Jefferies and Ely are the third and fourth Bulldogs ever taken in the first round, and the first Fresno State tandem ever selected in the opening round in the same year.
Tito Maddox, a point guard who played for Fresno State during the 2000-01 season, was chosen by the Houston Rockets with the ninth pick of the second round (38th overall). One of the top point guards in the nation during his time as a Bulldog, the Compton, Calif., native averaged 13.5 points and 8.0 assists in his one year with Fresno State.
