Watson, Russo drafted in 1st round of 2017 G League Draft

FRESNO, Calif. – The next chapter for former Fresno State men's basketball standouts Paul Watson and Cullen Russo will be the NBA G League with both players being selected in the first round of the league's annual draft.

"I'm excited about the well-deserved opportunities for two guys who helped really raise our level of play and Fresno State Basketball," Bulldogs' head coach Rodney Terry said of Watson and Russo. "I think their best basketball is ahead of them and I'm looking forward to the next chapters of their professional careers."

Watson was selected in the first round at No. 5 overall by the Westchester Knicks, who are affiliated with the New York Knicks. Fresno State's all-time leading scorer Marvelle Harris played for the Knicks in the 2016 NBA Summer League.

Watson was a four-year starter for Fresno State, who is one of eight teams on the West Coast to make postseason appearances (NCAA or NIT) in each of the last two seasons. He helped lead the Bulldogs to postseason appearances in three of his four seasons, including the 2016 NCAA Tournament as winners of the 2016 Mountain West championship.

Watson, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., scored 1,361 career points to finish his career 16th in program history in scoring. He played in 135 career games with 128 starts, and earned 2013-14 Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors. He was one of eight college basketball seniors to participate in ESPN's College Basketball Slam Dunk contest at the 2017 Final Four.

Meanwhile, Russo was also drafted in the opening round at No. 19 overall by the Canton Charge, an affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the Charge's assistant coaches last season was Melvin Ely, who is the Bulldogs' No. 2 all-time leading scorer.

Russo played his final two collegiate seasons at Fresno State, appearing in 60 games with 33 starts. He averaged 7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game during his Bulldog career, which included back-to-back postseason appearances.

Russo is originally from Bloomington, Minn. During his time at Fresno State, he was a 2015-16 All-MW Honorable Mention selection and earned MW Player of the Week honors after scoring a career-high 23 points with 10 rebounds in the Bulldogs' season-opening 69-66 victory over UTSA as a senior.

By getting in a chance to play in the NBA G League, Watson and Russo can look at former Fresno State star Tyler Johnson as an example for how to get to the NBA. Johnson turned a 2014 NBA Summer League audition with the Miami Heat into a free agent affiliate player contract with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Johnson earned two 10-day contracts later that season with the Heat and eventually earned a two-year deal on Miami's NBA roster. In July of 2016, Johnson signed a four-year, $50 million contract with Miami. Johnson is one of two Bulldogs currently on NBA rosters this season, along with Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George.

For Fresno State, the excitement and buzz for the start of the 2017-18 season has already led to a sellout of the Bulldogs' annual Tip Off Dinner, which will be hosted by the program's Time Out Club on Oct. 23 at Copper River Country Club. The crowd of 300 confirmed guests is the largest for the event since 2003.

Fresno State will play at Saint Mary's on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. PT in a special exhibition to benefit Northern California Fire Relief efforts, and then host two exhibition contests on Oct. 30 and Nov. 3. The Bulldogs open the regular season at home for the third straight season when they tip off on Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. PT versus UC Santa Cruz.

Season ticket packages and mini-plans are currently on sale through the Bulldog Ticket Office at the northeast corner of the Save Mart Center or by calling 559-278-DOGS (and then pressing "1"). Season ticket packages start at $149 while six-game mini plans start as low as $78 and group outings available starting at $8 per ticket.

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

Fresno State Athletics

Watson, Russo drafted in 1st round of 2017 G League Draft

Players Mentioned

Cullen Russo

Paul Watson

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