Four From Big Ten Selected in 2024 NBA Draft

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Four Big Ten Conference men’s basketball players were selected in the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday and Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Three of those selections came off the board in the first round.

Purdue center Zach Edey led the quartet after being chosen ninth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. Indiana’s Kel’el Ware will head south to the Miami Heat as the 15th overall pick, while Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. was chosen 27th by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota’s Cam Christie will move to the west coach, after the Los Angeles Clippers selected him 16th in the second round (46th overall).

Edey was named Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year after leading the Boilermakers to the Big Ten regular season championship. Edey averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.0 assists and shot 62.3 percent from the field and 71.1 percent from the free throw line, while leading the Boilermakers to their first Final Four since 1980 and NCAA championship game appearance since 1969.

Ware, an All-Big Ten Second Team selection, averaged team highs in points (15.9 per game), rebounds (9.9), and blocked shots (1.9). He became the third Hoosier in the last 25 seasons (D.J. White, Trayce Jackson-Davis) to average at least 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds for a season. Ware shot 58.6% (188-of-321) from the floor and 42.5% (17-of-40) from the 3-point line. The Big Ten All-Defensive Team honoree added a team-best 15 double-doubles to go along with 19 multi-block contests.

Shannon, who was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2024 Big Ten Tournament, ranked third in the NCAA in scoring this past season at 23.0 points per game, the highest scoring average by an Illini player in 51 years. He shattered the Illinois all-time single-season scoring record, totaling 736 points over his 32 appearances, becoming the first Illini ever to surpass the 700-point mark. Shannon also averaged 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals.

Christie appeared in 33 contests during his freshman campaign, ranking second on the team with 11.3 points and 30.1 minutes played. Christie shot 40.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, while leading the Gophers with 179 three-point attempts and finishing second on the team with 70 made three-pointers. The rookie has also posted 119 rebounds, 74 assists, 11 blocks, 21 steals, and 373 points.

The Big Ten Conference has had at least three first-round draft picks in eight of the last 12 drafts. The Big Ten Conference also extended its streak with at least one first-round selection to 49 consecutive years, dating to the 1976 draft.