The NBA Draft was Thursday night, and thank goodness I don’t care very much about the Bulls or any other NBA franchise or I’d assume the last two days would have been even more of a rollercoaster.
I do, of course, care about all our wonderful NIT alumni out there, though, so let’s go through where those who were drafted landed (sorry, undrafted guys, but this is a draft recap, not a full-on NBA/NIT rundown, which would be near-infinite given how the NIT is at the core of the universe and things like ancient civilization tie back to how certain cities got franchises and I’m sorry but I can’t talk about Attila the Hun’s relationship to the Brooklyn Nets’ existence and also the NIT that would take far too long):
James Bouknight* – 11th Overall Pick, Charlotte Hornets
Bouknight did not play in any real NIT’s, but he did contribute to UConn’s second-round run in the 2020 Virtual NIT, so we’ll give him some attention here.
Kai Jones* – 19th Overall Pick, Charlotte Hornets via trade or something I don’t know I don’t follow NBA Draft trades
Jones also didn’t make any real NIT’s, but he did contribute to Texas’s runner-up finish in the 2020 Virtual NIT. Man. We missed out. Evidently Charlotte was watching the Virtual NIT, though, which is cool.
Jalen Johnson – 20th Overall Pick, Atlanta Hawks
Should’ve been in the NIT but Coach K is a coward. The K stands for cowardice.
Herbert Jones – 35th Overall Pick, New Orleans Pelicans
Alright, here we go! In addition to a 2020 Virtual NIT appearance (lost in the first round to Radford), Jones was in the real NIT in 2019, scoring eighteen but only grabbing three rebounds in the Tide’s shocking loss to Norfolk State. Congratulations, Herbert!
Neemias Queta – 39th Overall Pick, Sacramento Kings
Queta was a constant presence in NIT discussions these last few years, but Utah State never pulled it off. Which is a shame, because Utah State to Sacramento via the NIT would be a can’t-miss path to stardom.
Greg Brown – 43rd Overall Pick, Portland Trail Blazers (after some trades or something)
My guy! Again, did not play in the NIT, but I did deliver Uber Eats to him on August 21st of last summer, and I wrote down a lot of details in case he becomes a star one day. Two sandwiches with American cheese, fries, cookies and cream shake. He ordered it to the stretch of San Jacinto on campus between the football stadium and the little turf field with the circular track. Made it easy to drop off (came right to the road). Was wearing a mask. Looked both ways before crossing the street. Told me he appreciated me. Good bounce in his step. Didn’t tip, but that just shows that Shaka Smart was definitely not paying players while at Texas.
David Johnson – 47th Overall Pick, Toronto Raptors (after some trades or something)
As with Jalen Johnson, should have been in this year’s NIT but Louisville dodged me. Probably would’ve gotten drafted higher just saying.
Marcus Zegarowski – 49th Overall Pick, Brooklyn Nets (after some trades or something)
Zegarowski’s finally getting to New York. Not Manhattan, mind you, but New York, after falling short with a disappointing showing in Creighton’s quarterfinal loss to TCU back in 2019 (for what it’s worth, he had a great night against Memphis in the second round). Congratulations, and best of luck crossing the East River one day.
Charles Bassey – 53rd Overall Pick, Philadelphia 76ers (after some trades or something)
Bassey played a big role in getting Western Kentucky to this year’s NIT, and posted two double-doubles in the tournament. He wasn’t particularly efficient, though, and Louisiana Tech eventually took him and Big Red down. A lifetime of what-ifs at his back. How’s that for motivation?
Jericho Sims – 58th Overall Pick, New York Knicks (after some trades or something)
The only NIT champion drafted, and one I’m personally very excited for, as he was a ton of fun on that Texas team (some big ol’ dunks). It’s often forgotten, but Sims played a key role in that title run for the Longhorns, filling in for an injured Jaxson Hayes with some big minutes and grabbing ten boards in the Silencing of the Buffaloes™ in Austin in the quarterfinals. Hurt for the 2020 Virtual NIT. Love that Sims is going back to Madison Square Garden. Love it so much.
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Overall, pretty good showing from the NIT. Four real NIT alumni, two Virtual NIT alumni, two should’ve-been-NIT-alumni-from-“blue-chip”-programs, one guy to whom I delivered food and often tweeted support, and a guy who was at least always in the NIT discussion.
