The New Orleans Hornets selected Kentucky big man Anthony Davis with the top overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Davis was taken with the top pick after helping lead Kentucky to the 2012 national championship. Davis was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Final Four for his efforts.
Davis was one of four players from Kentucky selected in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft.
Top Ten Picks of the 2012 NBA Draft
The Charlotte Bobcats took Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the second overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. At number three, the Washington Wizards took Florida guard Bradley Beal. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Syracuse guard Dion Waiters with the fourth overall pick, while the Sacramento Kings rounded out the top five with the selection of Kansas forward Thomas Robinson.
The top 10 picks in the 2012 NBA Draft included:
- Portland Trail Blazers – Damian Lillard (PG, Weber State)
- Golden State Warriors – Harrison Barnes (SF, North Carolina)
- Toronto Raptors – Terrence Ross (SG, Washington)
- Detroit Pistons – Andre Drummond (C, UConn)
- New Orleans Hornets – Austin Rivers (SG, Duke)
Lillard was named the unanimous Rookie of the Year after averaging 19 points and six assists per game during the 2012-13 NBA season. Lillard also was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month all six times during the campaign. Lillard, along with Davis, Beal, Barnes and Waiters were named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
2012 NBA Draft Notes
No one selected in the 2012 NBA Draft was named an All-Star during their rookie season. Three freshmen were selected with the top three picks, but a freshman wasn’t selected again until Drummond at number nine. Notable players who went unselected in the 2012 NBA Draft include guard Kent Bazemore, guard Toure’ Murry and swingman Hollis Thompson.
The final player selected in the 2012 NBA Draft was center Robert Sacre, who was taken by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Download: 2012 NBA Draft