The Atlanta Hawks selected former Virginia basketball player Mike Scott with the 43rd overall pick in last night’s NBA Draft.
Scott netted first-team All-ACC honors during his standout last season for the Cavaliers, averaging 18 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He also received third-team All-America recognition from Sporting News and an honorable mention on the Associated Press All-America list.
The 6-foot-8 forward posted a respectable 9.3 points per game during his first three full seasons at Virginia but looked poised for a breakout in the 2010-2011 season. He averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds until an ankle injury in Dec. sidelined him for the year.
Rather than regressing, however, Scott took a medical hardship waiver and entered his fifth and final collegiate season with a renewed commitment to all-around shooting. He consequently complemented an already dangerous post game with a deadly face-up jumper and ranked first in the ACC with a 56.3 field goal percentage.
With Scott at the helm, Virginia earned its first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2008 season. He is also the first Cavalier drafted since 2008, when the Sacramento Kings took Sean Singletary as their second round pick.
Scott joins a Hawks team that finished 40-26 last regular season before bowing out to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks currently have forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams under contract, both of whom have played at Scott’s natural power forward position.
-compiled by Ashley Robertson