The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Jericho Sims selected No. 58 in NBA Draft
07.30.2021 | Men's Basketball
UT’s three selections ties Florida State for the most picks in the 2021 Draft.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Former University of Texas basketball standout Jericho Sims was selected as the No. 58 pick by the New York Knicks in the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday evening at Barclays Center. Sims is the third Longhorn to be selected in the 2021 NBA Draft, joining Kai Jones (No. 19 by New York Knicks, draft rights traded to the Charlotte Hornets) and Greg Brown (No. 43 by New Orleans Pelicans, draft rights traded to the Portland Trail Blazers).
UT's three selections tied Florida State for the most picks in the 2021 Draft and tied a program record for most selections in a single draft. This marked the fourth time in program history and first time since 2011 that Texas has had three players selected in the same draft.
LaMarcus Aldridge (No. 2), P.J. Tucker (No. 35) and Daniel Gibson (No. 42) were picked during the 2006 NBA Draft. Avery Bradley (No. 19), Damion James (No. 24) and Dexter Pittman (No. 32) were selected in the 2010 NBA Draft. Tristan Thompson (No. 4), Jordan Hamilton (No. 26) and Cory Joseph (No. 29) were all picked in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft.
Sims was a four-year letterwinner who played in 119 career games (77 starts). For his career, he averaged 6.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 20.5 minutes per contest. He completed his Texas career ranked first in career field goal percentage (.639, 325-509, min. 600 points scored), topping the previous mark held by Dexter Pittman (.623, 337-541) from 2007-10. Sims reached double figures in scoring 35 times and double digits in rebounds 16 times and posted nine double-doubles in his career.
Sims garnered honorable mention All-Big 12 selections in both his junior and senior seasons. He earned his bachelor's degree in African & African Diaspora Studies with a minor in Anthropology this May.
During his senior season in 2020-21, Sims played and started 26 of a possible 27 games and led the team in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and blocks (28) and ranked fifth in scoring (9.2 ppg) in 24.6 minutes per contest. He converted a team-best 69.6-percent from the floor (94-135) on the year, good for second on UT's single-season field goal percentage chart (min. 200 points scored) behind Jaxson Hayes in 2018-19 (.728, 123-169). Sims earned a spot on the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team, averaging 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while hitting 13-of-17 (.765) field goals in the two contests. He posted a career-high 21 points (8-11 FG) and 14 rebounds in the championship game victory against No. 12/14 Oklahoma State.
Since the NBA Draft began in 1947, a total of 48 Longhorns have now heard their names called on draft night. Texas has produced 19 first-round selections and 13 second-round picks in program history. UT has now had 23 players drafted in the last 23 years, dating back to the 1999 Draft.
