June 23, 2016
Baldwin Highlights | Jones Highlights
It was quite the night for Commodore basketball on Thursday at the 2016 NBA Draft, as Wade Baldwin IV and Damian Jones each heard their name called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in the first round of the draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Baldwin was selected 17th by Memphis, while Jones was picked 30th by Golden State.
Baldwin and Jones’ selections marked the first NBA Draft appearances by a Commodore since 2012, when Vanderbilt had two first round picks, John Jenkins of Atlanta at number 23 and Festus Ezeli of Golden State at 30, and the first pick of the second round when Charlotte selected Jeffery Taylor. The Commodores were one of three teams (Kentucky, Washington) with multiple first-round picks in the 2016 draft, and one of only two SEC schools to have multiple first-round picks in the NBA Draft since 2012.
“What a great night for the Vanderbilt basketball program,” said Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew. “We are so happy for Wade and Damian! Having two first round picks is a tremendous accomplishment for them and the program. Anchor Down!”
Thursday marked the 10th time Vanderbilt has had two players selected in the NBA Draft, but only the second time since the draft was shortened to two rounds in 1989 (2012 other year).
Baldwin IV and Jones become the sixth and seventh first-round picks, respectively, in the history of the program, joining Will Perdue in 1988 (11th, Chicago), Jeff Turner in 1984 (7th, New Jersey), Clyde Lee in 1966 (3rd, San Francisco), and John Jenkins (23rd, Atlanta), and Festus Ezeli (30th, Golden State) in 2012.
Baldwin IV was named to All-Freshman Team in 2015 and the All-SEC Second Team in 2016 in his two season with the Commodores. He is the all-time leader on Vanderbilt’s freshman and sophomore single-season assist list, and his 4.81 assist per game average in his career is second on VU’s all-time career list behind Jan van Breda Kolff’s 5.38 average. His 5.21 average in 2015-16 is 6th on the single-season list.
Jones, who is Vanderbilt’s 10th all-time pick in the second round, was named to the All-SEC First Team as a junior, as well as the All-SEC First Team and the All-Defensive Team as a sophomore. He became 44th player in Vanderbilt history to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier with 13-point performance vs. Western Michigan. Jones ended his junior year with a cumulative 1,313 points, and is 24th on VU’s all-time list, and also finished his career second on the career blocks list with 167. His 1.69 blocks per game career mark is the second-best in program history and his 54 blocks in 2015-16 is fifth all-time on VU’s single-season block list. He is also third on VU’s all-time list in field-goal percentage in a career at 56.6%.
You’re welcome city of Memphis! #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/Q3szA9tM1J
— VandyMBB (@VandyMBB) June 24, 2016
.@dameology is going to #DubNation! #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/TKYXZVDwK7
— VandyMBB (@VandyMBB) June 24, 2016
WATCH as @VandyMBB‘s @dameology is selected by the @warriors in the #NBADraft @AdvocateSports pic.twitter.com/E9wOpsz1ki
— Hilary Scheinuk (@hscheinukphoto) June 24, 2016
It was a great night for Vanderbilt basketball! @The_Fourth_Wade @dameology https://t.co/ZPHmUmElJ4 pic.twitter.com/0HpxdZ2gq8
— VandyMBB (@VandyMBB) June 24, 2016
