Former Virginia All-American Justin Anderson (Montross, Va.) was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday (June 25) night. Anderson was the 21st overall pick of the draft and is the first UVa player to be selected in the first round since Cory Alexander was selected 29th overall by San Antonio in 1995.
Anderson is the third Virginia player selected in the NBA Draft since 2012, joining Mike Scott (2012) and Joe Harris (2014). Both Scott and Harris were second-round selections.
Anderson is also the eighth UVa player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, joining Barry Parkhill (1973), Wally Walker (1976), Jeff Lamp (1981), Ralph Sampson (1983), Olden Polynice (1987), Bryant Stith (1992) and Alexander (1995).
Anderson averaged career highs in points (12.2), rebounds (4.0), 3-point shooting (45.2%) and minutes (27.8) in 2014-15. He helped lead the Cavaliers to a school-record tying 30 wins, ACC regular season championship and NCAA third round appearance. Anderson was named to the NABC All-America Third Team and All-ACC Second Team, and was a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward Award. Anderson was leading the ACC in 3-point shooting at 48.2 percent prior to missing the last eight games of the regular season with a broken hand and appendectomy.
Anderson tallied a career-high 24 points as a freshman against Iowa and was named the ACC Sixth Man of the Year by the ACC media as a sophomore. He averaged 8.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 98 career games at Virginia.
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