University of Washington freshman Jaden McDaniels joins his teammate Isaiah Stewart (No. 16/Trailblazers to Pistons) as the second Husky to be drafted in the 2020 NBA Draft as he was selected No. 28 by the Los Angeles Lakers with a potential trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves in play.
TWO FIRST ROUNDERS PICKS FOR HUSKIES PROGRAM
With McDaniels’ No. 28 pick, Washington now has two first-rounders for the first time since the 2016 season (Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray), which is also marks just the third time in program history that two Dawgs have been taken in the first round as Tony Wroten and Terrence Ross went in the first round in 2012.
McDaniels, a Seattle native, had a standout freshman year on Montlake, finishing second on the team in scoring at 13.0 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds per game. McDaniels saw action in 31 games for the Huskies shooting 40.5 percent from the field and recording 43 blocks and 24 steals. Additionally, his 65 assists were second-best by a Husky last season.
McDaniels was named to the 2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List and the Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason Watch List. He as a 2019 McDonald’s All-American, 2019 Jordan Brand Classic Selection and Second Team Naismith High School All-American along with being named the 2018-29 Washington Gatorade Player of the Year.
In the last 18 drafts, at least one Husky has been selected in all but three years (2008, 2013, 2015, 2018). Additionally, the Dawgs have had 58 overall picks in the NBA Draft.
Quote from Mike Hopkins:
He’s obviously exceptionally talented. The thing that separates him is that he’s an elite competitor. That competitive nature will definitely carry his talent. He can handle adversity and I believe that’s going to make him a great pro. He is always working on his game and is very coachable. He learned, listened, accepted everything thrown at him last season, he just wanted to help the team win. Whoever gets him, he’s going to be a great steal in the NBA and his consistency comes with maturing. He’s got such an upside to his growth. He’s a young player that just kept getting better and better last year. He can play the 2, 3 or the 4, forward or guard, he’s got great vision and wants to help his teammates get better. He can also really defend. He can guard 1-4, he can move his feet laterally as good as anyone I’ve seen at that size. That all translates. His shooting was improving throughout the year and I think he’s going to be the steal of this draft
