Jun 24 | Men's Basketball
New Orleans Native Selected By The Pelicans
NEW YORK (NBA/SMU) – SMU's Jaron Pierre Jr. was selected 58th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
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In his lone season on the Hilltop, Pierre Jr. helped the Mustangs return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. He was named NABC All-Gulf District Second Team and All-ACC Honorable Mention as he averaged 17.6 points (7th ACC), 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals with a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He shot 46.2% from the field, 75.8% on free throws and 37.0% on threes while making 2.4 threes per game (11th ACC). On Dec. 7, he was the Hoop Hype XL Player of the Game with 35 points in a 93-80 overtime win vs Texas A&M.
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The Mustangs recorded a pair of top-25 wins for the first time in six seasons, defeating No. 12 North Carolina 97-83 on Jan. 3 and No. 21 Louisville 95-85 on Feb. 17. SMU was ranked in the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in nine seasons.
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Pierre Jr. is the ninth player for head coach Andy Enfield to be selected in the past nine NBA Drafts. Over Enfield's final seven seasons at USC, the Trojans had eight players selected in the NBA Draft, tied for the fifth-most by any program in the country during that span.
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The New Orleans native was an All-State selection at St. Augustine HS. Pierre Jr. is the first Mustang selected since Shake Milton in the 2018 NBA Draft.
NBA Draft Picks under SMU Head Coach Andy Enfield
At SMU
2026 - 2nd Rnd (58) - Jaron Pierre Jr. | Pelicans
At USC
2024 - 1st Rnd (29) - Isaiah Collier | Jazz; 2nd Rnd (55) - Bronny James | Lakers
2022 - 2nd Rnd (49) - Isaiah Mobley | Cavaliers
2021 - 1st Rnd (3) - Evan Mobley | Cavaliers
2020 - 1st Rnd (6) - Onyeka Okongwu | Hawks
2019 - 1st Rnd (30) - Kevin Porter Jr. | Bucks
2018 - 2nd Rnd (46) - De'Anthony Melton | Rockets; 2nd Rnd (49) - Chimezie Metu | Bucks
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SMU in the NBA Draft
Year     Name  NBA Draft (Overall)       Team
1949     Bob Prewitt       --           New York Knicks
1951     Jack Brown                      7th Round (68)               Rochester Royals
1957     Jim Krebs                         1st Round (3)                  Minneapolis Lakers
1957     Bobby Mills                     10th Round (98)             St. Louis Hawks
1958     Rick Herrscher                6th Round (47)               St. Louis Hawks
1961     Steve Strange                  9th Round (83)               Chicago Packers
1962     Jan Loudermilk               4th Round (35)               Los Angeles Lakers
1964     Gene Elmore                   4th Round (34)               San Francisco Warriors
1966     Carroll Hooser                6th Round (52)               Detroit Pistons
1967     Charles Beasley              7th Round (74)               Cincinnati Royals
1969     Bill Voight                        14th Round (183)           Chicago Bulls
1969     Bill Voight                        16th Round (196)           Milwaukee Bucks
1969     Lynn Phillips                    17th Round (202)           Milwaukee Bucks
1971     Gene Phillips                   7th Round (119)             Milwaukee Bucks
1974     Sammy Hervey               6th Round (97)               Atlanta Hawks
1976     Ira Terrell                         3rd Round (45)               Phoenix Suns
1980     Brad Branson                  2nd Round (45)              Detroit Pistons
1985     Jon Koncak                      1st Round (5)                  Atlanta Hawks
1985     Carl Wright                      5th Round (113)             Philadelphia 76ers
1986     Kevin Lewis                     6th Round (125)             San Antonio Spurs
1987     Terry Williams                5th Round (105)             Golden State Warriors
2001     Jeryl Sasser                     1st Round (22)                Orlando Magic
2017     Semi Ojeleye                   2nd Round (37)              Boston Celtics
2017     Sterling Brown                2nd Round (46)              Philadelphia 76ers
2018     Shake Milton                   2nd Round (55)              Dallas Mavericks
2026     Jaron Pierre Jr.                2nd Round (58)              New Orleans
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In his lone season on the Hilltop, Pierre Jr. helped the Mustangs return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. He was named NABC All-Gulf District Second Team and All-ACC Honorable Mention as he averaged 17.6 points (7th ACC), 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals with a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He shot 46.2% from the field, 75.8% on free throws and 37.0% on threes while making 2.4 threes per game (11th ACC). On Dec. 7, he was the Hoop Hype XL Player of the Game with 35 points in a 93-80 overtime win vs Texas A&M.
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The Mustangs recorded a pair of top-25 wins for the first time in six seasons, defeating No. 12 North Carolina 97-83 on Jan. 3 and No. 21 Louisville 95-85 on Feb. 17. SMU was ranked in the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in nine seasons.
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Pierre Jr. is the ninth player for head coach Andy Enfield to be selected in the past nine NBA Drafts. Over Enfield's final seven seasons at USC, the Trojans had eight players selected in the NBA Draft, tied for the fifth-most by any program in the country during that span.
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The New Orleans native was an All-State selection at St. Augustine HS. Pierre Jr. is the first Mustang selected since Shake Milton in the 2018 NBA Draft.
NBA Draft Picks under SMU Head Coach Andy Enfield
At SMU
2026 - 2nd Rnd (58) - Jaron Pierre Jr. | Pelicans
At USC
2024 - 1st Rnd (29) - Isaiah Collier | Jazz; 2nd Rnd (55) - Bronny James | Lakers
2022 - 2nd Rnd (49) - Isaiah Mobley | Cavaliers
2021 - 1st Rnd (3) - Evan Mobley | Cavaliers
2020 - 1st Rnd (6) - Onyeka Okongwu | Hawks
2019 - 1st Rnd (30) - Kevin Porter Jr. | Bucks
2018 - 2nd Rnd (46) - De'Anthony Melton | Rockets; 2nd Rnd (49) - Chimezie Metu | Bucks
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SMU in the NBA Draft
Year     Name  NBA Draft (Overall)       Team
1949     Bob Prewitt       --           New York Knicks
1951     Jack Brown                      7th Round (68)               Rochester Royals
1957     Jim Krebs                         1st Round (3)                  Minneapolis Lakers
1957     Bobby Mills                     10th Round (98)             St. Louis Hawks
1958     Rick Herrscher                6th Round (47)               St. Louis Hawks
1961     Steve Strange                  9th Round (83)               Chicago Packers
1962     Jan Loudermilk               4th Round (35)               Los Angeles Lakers
1964     Gene Elmore                   4th Round (34)               San Francisco Warriors
1966     Carroll Hooser                6th Round (52)               Detroit Pistons
1967     Charles Beasley              7th Round (74)               Cincinnati Royals
1969     Bill Voight                        14th Round (183)           Chicago Bulls
1969     Bill Voight                        16th Round (196)           Milwaukee Bucks
1969     Lynn Phillips                    17th Round (202)           Milwaukee Bucks
1971     Gene Phillips                   7th Round (119)             Milwaukee Bucks
1974     Sammy Hervey               6th Round (97)               Atlanta Hawks
1976     Ira Terrell                         3rd Round (45)               Phoenix Suns
1980     Brad Branson                  2nd Round (45)              Detroit Pistons
1985     Jon Koncak                      1st Round (5)                  Atlanta Hawks
1985     Carl Wright                      5th Round (113)             Philadelphia 76ers
1986     Kevin Lewis                     6th Round (125)             San Antonio Spurs
1987     Terry Williams                5th Round (105)             Golden State Warriors
2001     Jeryl Sasser                     1st Round (22)                Orlando Magic
2017     Semi Ojeleye                   2nd Round (37)              Boston Celtics
2017     Sterling Brown                2nd Round (46)              Philadelphia 76ers
2018     Shake Milton                   2nd Round (55)              Dallas Mavericks
2026     Jaron Pierre Jr.                2nd Round (58)              New Orleans
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Players Mentioned
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