Maryland's rising success under Gary Williams over the past 20 years has resulted in a growing number of Terrapin stars playing professionally in the NBA ranks and overseas.
In the NBA specifically, the annual draft has become a barometer of Terrapin success, as Maryland has landed 16 players overall in the draft since Williams' return to College Park and 10 draft picks since 1999 alone.
During Williams' 31-year career as a head coach, an incredible total of 30 players have been NBA Draft choices. The most recent Williams' player in the draft was James Gist, a 2008 Terp graduate who was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round.
In June of 2003, four-year point guard Steve Blake became the eighth Terp drafted over a five-year span with his selection in the second round by the Washington Wizards. In 2002, the Terps landed a pair of first-round picks and three selections overall, as Chris Wilcox (8th, Los Angeles Clippers), Juan Dixon (17th, Washington Wizards) and Lonny Baxter (44th, Chicago Bulls) all were chosen in draft proceedings at Madison Square Garden. Wilcox, chosen eighth overall, was Maryland's first lottery pick since Steve Francis three years earlier. When Dixon was made the 17th pick of the draft, Maryland had placed two players in the first round for the first time since 1981.
Buoyed by three first- and second-round draft picks during the 1999 and 2002 NBA drafts, Maryland and Gary Williams have asserted themselves in recent years among the most prominent schools in developing NBA talent.
In 1999, Steve Francis was chosen as the second pick of the first round, followed by second-round selections Obinna Ekezie and Laron Profit. One year later, Terence Morris was taken in the second round of the draft.
The Terps' NBA Draft tally since 1999: 10 draft picks, three first-round choices and two lottery selections.
What's more, Francis, the No. 2 pick in that `99 draft, went on to become the NBA's Co-Rookie of the Year. By the 2002 season, Francis was voted to the NBA All-Star Game.
Chosen on draft day by the Vancouver Grizzlies, Francis was traded in the preseason to the Houston Rockets for whom he led all NBA rookies with 6.6 steals in 1999-00, and was the second-leading rookie scorer with 18 points per game.
Had Francis been the No. 1 overall selection, Maryland would have become the first school in NBA history to have three No. 1 selections. Previously, John Lucas was the top pick by the Houston Rockets in 1976 and Joe Smith was picked first by the Golden State Warriors in 1995.
The Terps' 2002 draft windfall brought the number of all-time Maryland lottery selections to five -- a number that is tied for 10th among all NCAA schools. Wilcox's selection brought the number of lottery selections at Maryland under head coach Gary Williams to four. Overall, seven Maryland players and nine overall since 1987 have played for Gary Williams and become first-round draft picks with guaranteed contracts.
Terps' NBA Draft History
Maryland's NBA Lottery History
Teams With Two No. 1 Overall Picks
Maryland: John Lucas, 1976; Joe Smith, 1995
Georgetown: Patrick Ewing, 1985; Allen Iverson, 1996
Houston: Elvin Hayes, 1968; Hakeem Olajuwon, 1984
Michigan: Cazzie Russell, 1966; Chris Webber, 1993
No. Carolina: James Worthy, 1982; Brad Daugherty, 1986
Purdue: Joe Barry Carroll, 1980; Glenn Robinson, 1994
UCLA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1969; Bill Walton, 1974
