Fresno State Athletics
George Drafted 10th by Pacers as NBA Lottery Pick
6/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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BLOG: Dream Comes True for George
June 24, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - Paul George's dream of being drafted by an NBA team came true tonight as the Indiana Pacers selected the former Fresno State basketball star with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The honor cemented George as the program's highest draft pick in Fresno State history as the first top 10 pick in an NBA Draft.
George, one of the selected future NBA players invited to Madison Square Garden in New York City for the national broadcast on ESPN, donned the NBA hat with a huge smile on his face before shaking the hand of NBA Commissioner David Stern. George was the third Bulldog ever invited to New York City for draft festivities.
"I feel like I have a lot of potential to continue to grow," George said after hearing the announcement. "I feel the sky is the limit. It's a dream come true."
The Bulldogs' head coach Steve Cleveland reflected on George's chance to play in the NBA and his opportunity to represent Fresno State across the country.
"I am excited for Paul and his family," Cleveland said of George's future. "He will be a great ambassador for our basketball program, university and community. This is a great example of how a young man who was not highly recruited out of high school was able to grow and develop his perimeter skills because of his outstanding work ethic and attitude. Paul has such an upside and the NBA teams were very impressed with his growth and development over the past two years."
Cleveland additionally credited his coaching staff for their work in developing George, who played center in high school, into a complete multi-dimensional player.
"This is also a reflection of our coaching staff and their commitment to developing and teaching a talented player the skills to excel in this game," Cleveland added of his second top 10 draft pick in his tenure as a Division I coach.
George received high praise from NBA legend Larry Bird, the Pacers' president of basketball.
"Paul is multi-skilled," Bird said. "He can play two positions and with his work ethic, he has a chance to be a very good player in this league."
George, a native of Palmdale, Calif., headlines the ranks of former Bulldogs playing professionally as the fifth `Dog selected in the first round and the first since Fresno State fielded a pair of first round draft picks in 2002 when Melvin Ely was selected 12th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers and Chris Jefferies went 27th overall to the Los Angeles Lakers.
With George's selection tonight, 21 former Bulldogs have now been drafted by NBA teams with seven more also playing in the league, dating as far back as 1958.
George is the second draftee for Steve Cleveland's system over the past five years of guiding his hometown team as Dominic McGuire was taken in the second round in 2007 by the Washington Wizards. While at BYU, Cleveland developed Rafael Araujo into the No. 8 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.
Throughout his Fresno State career, George showcased his elite athleticism and passion for the game of basketball. As a sophomore, he delivered the program's best season at the free throw line (120-132, 90.9%), ranked as one of the top 20 sophomore NCAA scorers, and averaged 16.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 42.4 percent (154-363) from the field and 35.3 percent (122-308) on 3-point attempts. He scored a career-high 30 points in his first game back from an ankle injury in early February.
George also received one of 18 invitations to the Under 19 USA Basketball Training Camp (June 2009) and was named the West's Most Entertaining Player by SI.com in Fall 2009 after his breakout freshman campaign. He sparked his collegiate career with an appearance in ESPN's College Hoops Tip Off on the road at Saint Mary's College when George earned Sportcenter's Top Play of the Day for a one-handed slam dunk on two Gael defenders that instantly made him a YouTube sensation.
George prepped at Pete Knight High School and produced an average of 25 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals per game during his senior season.
With his NBA dream now a reality, George will take his game across the country and show basketball fans his skills on a nightly basis.
Fresno State All-Time First Round Draft Picks
Year - Pick - Player (Team)
2010 - 10th - Paul George (Indiana Pacers)
2002 - 12th - Melvin Ely (Los Angeles Clippers)
2002 - 27th - Chris Jefferies (Los Angeles Lakers)
2000 - 13th - Courtney Alexander (Orlando Magic)
1984 - 19th - Bernard Thompson (Portland Trail Blazers)
Videos of Paul George's Fresno State Career
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