Russell Selected 2nd Overall by Los Angeles Lakers in 2015 NBA Draft – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 25, 2015
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – D’Angelo Russell, a 6-foot-5-inch Ohio State guard from Louisville, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second pick of the 2015 NBA First Round Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Russell is the sixth Ohio State true freshman to go in the NBA Draft’s first round since Thad Matta took over the program in 2004-05.
In one season as a Buckeye, Russell led the Buckeyes in both scoring (19.3 ppg.) and rebounding (5.7 rpg.). He was named a consensus 2015 First Team All-American after earning 2015 First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades. He was the nation’s leading rookie scorer and set several Ohio State freshman records as well.
Matta said Laker fans will enjoy watching Russell.
“D’Angelo has worked extremely hard to achieve success on the basketball court,” Matta said. “He is one of the most talented players we’ve had in our program. He makes everyone around him better with the way he sees the game and I look forward to watching him perform at the NBA level.”
Eight of the 10 Ohio State players selected in the NBA Draft since Matta began his tenure were taken in the draft’s first round and there has been at least one Buckeye taken in the first round in six of the last nine draft classes.
The last first-round selection from Ohio State was Jared Sullinger, selected by the Boston Celtics with the 21st overall pick in 2012. Evan Turner was selected No. 2 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2010. Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook, all freshmen from Ohio State’s 2007 NCAA runner-up squad, were taken in the opening round of the 2007 NBA Draft. Freshmen centers Kosta Koufos (2008) and B.J. Mullens (2009) also were first-round selections.
Portland, with the first overall pick in 2007, selected Oden. He was the first Buckeye selected with the opening pick. Conley went to the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 4 pick and Cook was selected by Philadelphia with the 21st pick of the opening round. Koufos was taken by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd pick in 2008 while Mullens went originally to the Dallas Mavericks with the 24th pick in 2009. He was then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on draft night.
Jon Diebler was taken in the second round of the 2011 draft by Portland and Deshaun Thomas was a second round pick in 2013 by the San Antonio Spurs.
Since 1947, 51 Ohio State basketball players have been drafted by NBA teams, including 24 first round selections.
Russell joins Sullinger, Turner, Koufos and Conley as Buckeyes currently active in the NBA.
Ohio State made its 27th appearance in the NCAA tournament last season. The Buckeyes qualified for NCAA competition after a sixth-place finish in the Big Ten. Ohio State finished the 2014-15 season with an overall record of 24-11, which included an 11-7 record in the Big Ten regular-season race. The Buckeyes advanced to the NCAA Third Round with a win over VCU in Portland, Oregon. The Buckeyes then lost to Arizona to end their 2015 NCAA Tournament run.
Russell 2014-15 Honors and Awards
- 2015 First Team All-America by Associated Press, NABC, USA Today, USBWA, ESPN.com, Sporting News and NBCSports.com
- 2015 First Team All-Big Ten (coaches and media)
- 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year (coaches and media)
- 2015 Big Ten All-Freshman Team
- 2015 Jerry West award winner as nation’s top shooting guard
- USBWA All-District V
- NCAA.com, CBSSports.com, Naismith and USBWA National Player of the Week (1/26/15)
- USBWA Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week (1/26/15, 2/10/15)
- Big Ten Player of the Week (1/26/15, 2/9/15)
- Big Ten Freshman of the Week (12/8/14, 12/29/14, 1/19/15, 1/26/15, 2/2/15, 2/9/15, 3/2/15)
Russell by the Numbers in 2014-15 at Ohio State
1.000 No. 1-T all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State individual single game 3-point field goal pct. (6-6 vs. Wright State 12/27/14)
6 No. 1 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman record for 3-pointers made in a single game (6-6 vs. Wright State 12/27/14)
7 Freshman D’Angelo Russell was named Big Ten Freshman of the week seven times in 2014-15
11 No. 2-T all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman assists in a single game (vs. Rutgers 2/8/15)
13 No. 3-T all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman defensive rebounds in a single game (vs. Maryland 1/29/15)
19.3 No. 2 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman single season scoring average
28 Points scored by D’Angelo Russell vs. VCU in second round NCAA Tournament game, 10th-T most in OSU history in NCAA play
33 No. 2 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman points scored in a single game (vs. Northwestern 1/22/15)
55 No. 4 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman steals in a single season
95 No. 5 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State individual 3-pointers made in a single season
95 No. 1 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman record for 3-pointers made in a single season
118 No. 4 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman free throws made in a single season
175 No. 9 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State individual assists in a single season
175 No. 3 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman assists in a single season
231 No. 2 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman single season field goals made
515 No. 9 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State individual field goals attempted in a single season
675 No. 9 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State individual points in a single season
675 No. 1 all-time, D’Angelo Russell-Ohio State freshman record for points in a single season
10,000 D’Angelo Russell scored the 10,000th field goal in the Matta era in game at Michigan State Feb. 14, 2015
Thad Matta Era NBA Draft Picks Draft: OSU Player (Lettered) — Team — Rd (pick) 2007: Greg Oden (2007) — Portland Trail Blazers — 1 (1) 2007: Mike Conley Jr. (2007) — Memphis Grizzlies — 1 (4) 2007: Daequan Cook (2007) — Philadelphia 76ers — 1 (21) 2008: Kosta Koufos (2008) — Utah Jazz — 1 (23) 2009: Byron Mullens (2009) — Dallas Mavericks — 1 (24) — (traded to Okla. City Thunder) 2010: Evan Turner (2008-10) — Philadelphia 76ers — 1 (2) 2011: Jon Diebler (2008-11) — Portland Trailblazers — 2 2012: Jared Sullinger (2011-12) — Boston Celtics — 1 (21) 2013: Deshaun Thomas (2011-13) – San Antonio Spurs – 2 2015: D’Angelo Russell (2015) — Los Angeles Lakers 1 (2)
