Okogie's gamble pays off

Many people myself included were unsure about Georgia Tech sophomore guard Josh Okogie's decision to declare and stay in the NBA. On Thursday night it paid off as the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Okogie at pick #20 in the first round. Okogie goes to a loaded T-Wolves team where he can be mentored by another long and lean defensive guard out of college, Jimmy Butler.

“Josh is a tremendous young man and an excellent student-athlete,” said Tech head coach Josh Pastner. “He has set a tremendous example, making the Dean’s List this past semester, and deserves a lot of credit for making himself a much better player over the course of his two years here.”

Okogie has a role-model to work under and he can develop his game without a ton of pressure in Minnesota under a defensive minded coach Tom Thibodeau.

For Pastner, he has to turn Okogie's quick development into a recruiting chip that he can cash in for the 2019 and 2020 recruiting classes. The elite players he wants in Atlanta want to play in the NBA and it will be up to Pastner to sell Okogie's success.

First-round picks - Georgia Tech has had 18 players taken in the first round overall, 16 of them since 1989. Iman Shumpert was the last Yellow Jacket to be selected in the first round, 17th overall to the New York Knicks in 2011. Two Georgia Tech players been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in the same year once - Thaddeus Young (12th overall) and Javaris Crittenton (19th) in 2007.

Lottery picks - Eight Tech players have been "lottery picks" (one of the top 14 players chosen) from since the lottery was implemented in 1985. They are: John Salley (11th overall to Detroit, 1985), Tom Hammonds (9th overall to Washington in 1989), Dennis Scott (4th to Orlando in 1990), Kenny Anderson (2nd to New Jersey in 1991), Stephon Marbury (4th to Milwaukee in 1996), Chris Bosh (4th to Toronto in 2003), Thaddeus Young (12th overall to Philadelphia in 2007) and Derrick Favors (3rd overall to New Jersey in 2010).

Highest draft pick - Kenny Anderson (No. 2 overall to New Jersey in 1991)

Next highest picks - Derrick Favors (No. 3 overall to New Jersey), Stephon Marbury (No. 4 overall to Milwaukee in 1996, traded to Minnesota); Dennis Scott (No. 4 overall to Orlando in 1990); Chris Bosh (No. 4 overall to Toronto in 2003)

Early NBA entries – Josh Okogie is the 12th Tech player to make an early entry into the NBA draft. The other early entries were Dennis Scott (1990), Kenny Anderson (1991), Stephon Marbury (1996), Dion Glover (1998), Chris Bosh (2003), Jarrett Jack (2005), Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton (2007), Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors(2010) and Iman Shumpert (2011).

Two players drafted in the same year – The last time two Georgia Tech players were selected in the same draft was 2010, when Derrick Favors was taken third overall by the New Jersey Nets, and Gani Lawal went in the second round, 46th overall, by the Phoenix Suns. Overall, two players have been selected in the same draft 10 times.

Draft choices by team - The hometown NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks, has drafted three Georgia Tech players in its history - guard Phil Wagner in 1968 (6th round), guard George Thomas in 1983 (8th round) and guard Dion Glover in 1999 (1st round), while New Jersey, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Seattle (now Oklahoma City) also have selected three Tech players each. Franchises which have never selected a Tech player in the draft - Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and San Antonio.