Seven ACC players were selected Thursday evening in the 2021 NBA Draft, held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Four ACC players were selected in the first round, highlighted by Florida State freshman guard Scottie Barnes, who was a lottery pick with the No. 4 overall selection by the Toronto Raptors.
Virginia junior guard Trey Murphy III (No. 17 overall, Memphis), Duke freshman forward Jalen Johnson (No. 20 overall, Atlanta) and North Carolina freshman forward Day’Ron Sharpe (No. 29 overall, Phoenix) also were chosen in the first round. With the four first-round selections, the ACC has had at least three first-round draft picks in each of the last 13 drafts – the only conference to do so. The ACC also extended its streak with at least one first-round selection to 33 consecutive years, dating to the 1989 draft.
Over the last eight years (2014-21), the ACC leads all conferences with 49 first-round selections. With Barnes coming off the board as a lottery pick, the ACC now has had 31 top 14 selections over the last 12 years and since 1996 leads all conferences with 56 lottery selections.
ACC in the 2021 NBA Draft
Scottie Barnes, Florida State
First Round/Fourth Overall, Toronto Raptors
A Third-Team All-ACC selection, Barnes was named the ACC Freshman of the Year as well as the ACC Sixth Man of the Year. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while topping the Seminoles in both assists (4.1) and steals (1.5) and leading FSU to the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. He finished fifth in the ACC in assists and seventh in steals.
Trey Murphy III, Virginia
First Round/17th Overall, Memphis Grizzlies (proposed trade to New Orleans Pelicans)
Murphy averaged 11.3 ppg and 3.4 rpg last season for the Cavaliers. He shot 50.3% from the field, 43.3% from 3-point range and 92.7% from the free-throw line. He ranked seventh in the ACC in 3-point field goals made per game (2.1). Murphy also was an All-ACC Academic Team honoree.
Jalen Johnson, Duke
First Round/No. 20 Overall, Atlanta Hawks
Johnson played in 13 games with eight starts and was third on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.1 rpg). He twice was named ACC Freshman of the Week and was the ACC’s second-leading freshman scorer when he declared for the NBA Draft in mid-February.
Day’Ron Sharpe, North Carolina
First Round/29th Overall, Phoenix Suns (proposed trade to Brooklyn Nets)
Sharpe was named to the ACC’s All-Freshman Team in 2021 and was second in the voting for ACC Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. He averaged 9.5 ppg and 7.6 rpg and led the country in offensive rebound percentage (.183) and the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.4 per game). He tied for the team lead in blocks (26), was second in rebounding (7.6), third in steals (23) and fourth in scoring (9.5).
David Johnson, Louisville
Second Round/47th Overall, Toronto Raptors
Johnson was an Honorable Mention All-ACC pick in 2021 and was the only player in the ACC among the top 25 in both rebounding and assists, averaging 12.6 ppg, 3.2 apg and 5.8 rpg. He nearly doubled his scoring and rebounding averages from his freshman year, scoring 17 or more points in seven games and reaching double figures on 12 occasions.
Balsa Koprivica, Florida State
Second Round/57th Overall, Charlotte Hornets
Koprivica averaged 9.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 19.4 mpg during his sophomore season in 2020-21. He ranks second in school history in career field goal percentage at 63.2% (139-220). He was named to the 2021 ACC All-Tournament Team after averaging 14.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 3.0 bpg during the tournament.
RaiQuan Gray, Florida State
Second Round/59th Overall, Brooklyn Nets
Gray was a Third-Team All-ACC and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America selection during a standout 2021 campaign. He averaged 11.9 ppg, a team-high 6.4 rpg and 2.2 apg during his redshirt junior season.
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