Jun 21 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK (NBA/SMU) – SMU's Shake Milton was selected 54th overall by the Dallas Mavericks (traded to the Philadelphia 76ers) in the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday night. This is the second straight year with Mustangs in the NBA Draft, Semi Ojeleye and Sterling Brown were picked in the 2017 NBA Draft. Milton and Ojeleye were both early entrants in the draft, leaving after their junior seasons.
Milton, who was on the 2017-18 Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Lute Olson and Bob Cousy watch lists, played the first 22 games before missing the rest of the season with a broken right hand. Before the injury, he was among the American Athletic Conference leaders in scoring (18.0, 3rd AAC), assists (4.4, 3rd), steals (1.4, 10th), 3-point percentage (.434, 5th), 3-pointers made (2.5, 2nd), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9, 8th), free-throw percentage (.847, 2nd) and minutes (36.4, 2nd). He was one of just 12 players nationally to average at least 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds (4.7) and 4.0 assists (4.4).
Even with missing the last 11 games, he was named NABC All-District 25 Second Team, USBWA All-District VII and All-American Athletic Conference Second Team. The Owasso, Oklahoma, native, was the 2017-18 Preseason AAC Player of the Year, and was The American Player of the Week three times during his junior season. His last Player of the Week honor was on Jan. 22 after leading the Mustangs to an 83-78 victory at then-No. 7 Wichita State. Milton had a career-high 33 points with five assists in the road win, the Mustangs' third victory of the season over a top-15 team (66-60 vs. then-No. 2 Arizona on Nov. 23; 72-55 vs. then-No. 14 USC on Dec. 2).
SMU Draft Notes:
- Second straight year SMU has had a selection in the NBA Draft, first time for SMU since three straight years 1985, 1986, 1987.
- SMU is one of nine teams with an early entrant selected in back-to-back NBA Drafts. (Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Kentucky, SMU, UCLA)
- SMU is one of 14 teams with a selection in the 2017 and 2018 NBA Drafts. (Arizona, Colorado, Creighton, Duke, Texas, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami (FL), Michigan, Oregon, Purdue, SMU, UCLA, Villanova)
- SMU is one of three schools with a selection in the first two rounds of the MLS, NFL and NBA drafts (Louisville, Maryland, SMU)
- MLS - Michael Nelson – 1st Round 20th overall (Houston Dynamo)
- MLS - Mauro Cichero – 2nd Round 29th overall (FC Dallas)
- NFL - Courtland Sutton – 2nd Round 40th overall (Denver Broncos)
- NBA – Shake Milton – 2nd Round 54th overall (Dallas Mavericks)
SMU in the NBA Draft
Name                 Year  Team               NBA Draft (Round, Overall)
Shake Milton       2018 Dallas               2nd Round, 54th
Semi Ojeleye      2017 Boston             2nd Round, 37th
Sterling Brown    2017 Philadelphia     2nd Round, 46th
Jeryl Sasser        2001 Orlando           1st Round, 22nd
Terry Williams     1987 Golden State   5th Round, 105th
Kevin Lewis        1986 San Antonio     6th Round, 125th
Jon Koncak         1985 Atlanta             1st Round, 5th
Carl Wright         1985 Philadelphia     5th Round, 113th
Brad Branson      1980 Detroit             2nd Round, 45th
Ira Terrell            1976 Phoenix           3rd Round, 45th
Sammy Hervey   1974 Atlanta             6th Round, 97th
Gene Phillips      1971 Milwaukee       7th Round, 119th
Bill Voight           1969 Chicago           14th Round, 183rd
Bill Voight           1969 Milwaukee       16th Round, 196th
Lynn Phillips       1969 Milwaukee       17th Round, 202nd
Charles Beasley  1967 Cincinnati         7th Round, 74th
Carroll Hooser    1966 Detroit             6th Round, 52nd
Gene Elmore      1964 San Francisco  4th Round, 34th
Jan Loudermilk   1962 Los Angeles    4th Round, 35th
Steve Strange     1961 Chicago           9th Round, 83rd
Rick Herrscher   1958 St. Louis          6th Round, 47th
Jim Krebs           1957 Minneapolis     1st Round, 3rd
Bobby Mills         1957 St. Louis          10th Round, 98th
Jack Brown         1951 Rochester        7th Round, 68th
Bob Prewitt         1949 New York         --
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 ÂCongratulations @SniperShake!#PonyUp #SMU2NBA #NBADraft@sixers
— SMU Basketball (@SMUBasketball) June 22, 2018
Release: https://t.co/lN8E69Qp0g pic.twitter.com/VtjJu7VMHA
National reaction: SMU's Shake Milton part of record-breaking American Conference NBA draft class https://t.co/sbT3ozhTl1 via @sportsdaydfw
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) June 22, 2018
SMU is one of just 3 programs with selections in the first two rounds of the @MLS, @NFL & @NBA Drafts. #PonyUp#SMU2MLS @m_nelson1 & @MauroC014 #SMU2NFL @SuttonCourtland#SMU2NBA @SniperShake pic.twitter.com/nh6foAg0UM
— SMU Athletics (@SMUMustangs) June 22, 2018
The four American Conference selections in the 2018 @NBADraft - @GoShockers' Landry Shamet, @GoBEARCATS' Jacob Evans III, @TulaneAthletics' Melvin Frazier and @SMUMustangs' Shake Milton - mark the most in @American_MBB history. #AmericanPow6r pic.twitter.com/wPilzQAwPD
— The American (@American_Conf) June 22, 2018
Welcome to Philadelphia, @SniperShake!#HereTheyCome x #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/i6uZozGY38
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 22, 2018
Shake Milton is a part of the process (AKA the Philadelphia 76ers) after being picked with No. 54 pick in NBA draft https://t.co/gMeJwc9PUc pic.twitter.com/PrvYjkCJ9w
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) June 22, 2018
Shake Milton was selected 54th in the 2018 @NBADraft.
— SMU Basketball (@SMUBasketball) June 22, 2018
The @SMUMustangs are 1 of 14 programs with picks in the 2017 & 2018 drafts; 1 of 9 with an early entrant in both drafts. #PonyUp #SMU2NBA
2017: Semi Ojeleye & Sterling Brown
2018: @SniperShakehttps://t.co/lN8E6a7ZRO pic.twitter.com/mA2dmm61F6
Congrats to @SMUBasketball's Shake Milton, drafted 54th overall by the @dallasmavs in the 2018 @NBADraft! #AmericanPow6r pic.twitter.com/kRcRdHgh6N
— The American (@American_Conf) June 22, 2018
