SMU Sends 2 To NBA

NEW YORK (NBA/SMU) – SMU’s Semi Ojeleye and Sterling Brown were selected in the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday night. Ojeleye was selected 37th overall by the Boston Celtics and Brown was picked 46th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. This is the fourth time the Mustangs have had multiple picks in the NBA Draft, but the first time with multiple selections in the first two rounds.

Ojeleye was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention. He was also named AAC All-Tournament Most Outstanding Player, All-AAC First Team, USBWA All-District VII and NABC All-District 25 First Team. Ojeleye averaged 19.0 points (3rd AAC) and 6.9 rebounds (11th AAC) while shooting 48.7 percent (8th AAC) overall and 42.4 percent from 3-point range (3rd AAC). The American Scholar-Athlete of the Year and CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honoree graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Brown was named an NABC Division I College All-Star, All-American Athletic Conference Second Team and AAC All-Tournament this season. As a senior, he averaged 13.4 points (13th AAC), 6.5 rebounds (16th AAC), 3.0 assists (14th AAC) and 1.4 steals (7th AAC). He led The American in 3-point percentage for the second straight season (44.9) and was eighth in free throw percentage (79.1). He played in a program-record 109 victories during his SMU career and finished second in career 3-point shooting at 45.1 percent. He also ranked among career leaders in points (1,110, 31st), rebounds (653, 15th), assists (294, 15th), steals (139, 9th), blocks (51, T-23rd), field goal percentage (50.4, 14th) and threes made (128, 11th). He graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and a minor in sociology.

SMU finished the season 30-5 overall and ranked No. 11 in the final AP Poll under Head Coach Tim Jankovich. The Mustangs won the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles en route to the NCAA Tournament. The 30 wins set a program record, including a 17-1 mark in conference play and an 18-0 home record. The Mustangs had winning streaks of 10 games and 16 games in a stretch that saw SMU win 26 of 27.