34
Sports
Page 16 Wednesday, June 10, 1981 The Michigan Daily
NO. 2 ISIAH TO DETROIT
Mavs take Aguirre No. 1
I
NEW YORK A(P) - Mark Aguirre
and Isiah Thomas, boyhood friends
from the schoolyards of Chicago, were
the first two players selected in yester-
day's National Basketball Association
college draft.
Aguirre, the 6-5, two-time All-
American forward from DePaul, was
picked No. 1 by the Dallas Mavericks
and presented with the white-and-blue
uniform No. 24 he'll be wearing.
"EVEN THE colors are great," said
Aguirre, who found out on Sunday he'd
be the No. 1 pick but still said it was
"the greatest feeling in the world to
hear my name announced. I just wish I
could go out, shoot some jumpers and
relax."
Moments later, the Detroit Pistons
made Thomas, the point guard who
directed Indiana to the NCAA title, the
No. 2 choice in the draft. As Thomas en-
tered the interview room, Aguirre spot-
ted him and yelled, "Zeke! Zeke! We're
in the NBA!"-
The Mavericks and Pistons are coun-
ting on the two prize rookies to help turn
around teams that compiled records of
15-67 and 21-61, respectively, last
season. Both players come from win-
ning college teams and don't like the
idea of joining losers.
Thomas was the third point guard to
be picked on the first round by the
Pistons in the last three years, joining
Ray Hamilton and Larry Drew. When
told of this, Thomas said: "I just hope
this one sticks. To be a winner, a team
needs cohesiveness and that's what the
point guard is supposed to do."
The most active team in the past 48
hours was the New Jersey Nets, who
are also looking to go from loser to win-
ner after compiling a 24-58 record last
season.
On Monday the Nets obtained three-
time all-star guard Otis Birdsong, the
NBA's sixth-leading scorer with a 24.6
average last season, from Kansas City
fnr- 91 - -nrndfra r Tf nh in--
AND FINALLY the Nets used their
three first-round choices to select 6-8
Buck Williams of Maryland No. 3,6-6 Al
King of Maryland No. 10 and 6-9 Ray
Tolbert of Indiana No. 18.
Williams is considered a 10-10-10 man
by the scouts - he'll average at least 10
points and 10 rebounds per game for 10
years. He is the obvious candidate to
step into the Nets' power forward spot
vacated by Robinson.
There was considerable intrigue in-
volving the No. 4 pick. Seattle had
hoped to get 6-6 Al Wood of North
Carolina with the fifth choice, but
Atlanta also wanted Wood. So the
Hawks swung a complicated deal with
Chicago that included a swap of first-
round choices, giving Atlanta the No. 4
choice on the first round and dropping
Chicago down to No. 6.
THAT ENABLED the Hawks to take
Wood, a forward in college who is likely
to be shifted to the backcourt and fill
Atlanta's need for a big guard.
Seattle, its hopes of getting Wood
dashed, took the player they considered
See more on draft, page 15
the next best small forward - 6-7 Dan-
ny Vranes of Utah. Chicago, picking
sixth, then got the player it wanted all
along, 6-9 forward Orlando Woolridge of
Notre Dame.
Kansas City, looking for a successor
to 33-year-old center Sam Lacey, usedf
the seventh pick in the draft to take 6-
10/2 Steve Johnson of Oregon State,
considered the best of a relatively weak
crop of centers. Johnson is effective
around the basket, but his defense, out-
side shooting and rebounding toughness
is suspect.
FIRST ROUND PICKS
1. Dallas-Mark Aguirre, f, DePaul
2. Detroit-Isiah Thomas, g, Indiana
3. New Jersey-Buck Williams, c-f,
Maryland
4. Atlanta-Al Wood, f, North Carolina
5. Seattle-Danny Vranes, f, Utah
6. Chicago-Orlando Woolridge, f,
Notre Dame
7. Kansas City-Steve Johnson, c,
Oregon St.
8. San Diego-Tom Chambers, f, Utah
9. Dallas-Renaldo Blackman, g,
Kansas St.
10. New Jersey-Al King, Maryland
11. Washington-Frank Johnson, g,
Wake Forest
12. Detroit-Kelly Tripucka,
Notre Dame
13. Utah -Dan Schayes, c, Syracuse
14. Indiana-Herb Williams, c, Ohio St.
15. Portland-Jeff Lamp, g, Virginia
16. Portland-Darnell Valentine, g,
Kansas
18. New Jersey-Ray Tolbert, c,
Indiana
19. Los Angeles-Mike McGee, f,
MICHIGAN
20. Phoenix-Larry Nance, f, Clemson
21. Milwaukee-Alton Lister, c,
Arizona St.
22. Philadelphia-Franklin Edwards, g,
Cleveland St.
23. Boston-Charles Bradley, f,
Wyoming
Players from Michigan Schools
1/17-By Kansas City-Kevin Loder, f,
Alabama State, Cassopolis High
1/19-Los Angeles-Mike McGee, f-g,
MICHIGAN
2/1-Dallas-Jay Vincent, f, Michigan
State
3/23-Boston-John Johnson, g,
Michigan
5/20-Phoenix-Paul Heuerman, f,
Michigan
Celtics
I
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4
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Aguirre
.. . happy to be No.1
Birdsong had signed a free agent offer
sheet with Cleveland, but rather than
let him get away for nothing, the Kings
exercised the right of first refusal and
then dealt him to New Jersey.
Just before yesterday's draft, the
Nets dealt 32-year-old guard Mike
Newlin to New York for second-year
swingman Mike Woodson. Newlin had
become expendable after the Nets ob-
tained Birdsong.
McGee to Lakers; jJ to
4
From wire service reports
Three Michigan players-6-5 forward Mike McGee, 6-4 guard Johnny Johnson,
and 6-8 center Paul Heuerman-were selected in the NBA draft yesterday.
McGee, Michigan's all-time leading scorer, was drafted by the Los Angeles
Lakers as the 19th pick in the first round, while Johnson was chosen as the last pick
of the third round by the Boston Celtics, making him the 69th player to be drafted
overall. Heuerman was taken as a forward prospect by the Phoenix Suns in thefif-
th round.
MCGEE, WHO LED Michigan in scoring last season with a 24.4 average, will
probably be converted to a guard in the NBA.
The speedy Omaha native said he was "very, very happy" with the selection. "It
was either L.A. or Boston on my list," McGee continued. "And L.A. is just great.
My style of play is suited to the pro game. I think I'll be better in the NBA than I
was in college."
Earvin Johnson, the Lakers' and Michigan State's former star guard said
yesterday that the steaming Michigan-Michigan State rivalry will have to be put
aside now. "Even though he's from Michigan, I'll still pass him the ball once in a
while," Johnson quipped.
ACCORDING TO Los Angeles coach Paul Westhead, McGee was the team's top
pick all along.
"We're extremely happy to get him," Westhead said. "We hoped he would be
available and there was no hesitation when our turn came andhe was still there.
"McGee was one of the most exciting college players in the country. He can do
just about anything-he wants with the ball."
-I
McGee
... 19th pick overall
Johnson
... 69th pick overall