NEW YORK (NBA/SMU) – SMU's
Jaron Pierre Jr. was selected 58
th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
