The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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BY MICHAEL SPATH N ik Stauskas made a splash on draft night, but maybe not the way he expected to. The former Michigan shoot- ing guard did go a few picks earlier than projected when the Sacramento Kings grabbed him with the No. 8 overall selection, but the suit Staus- kas wore — a pinstriped outfit befit- ting a gangster from the Prohibition era — was all anyone wanted to talk about during and after the June 26 telecast. "That was me," he said with a laugh during his first teleconference. "Some said I was the best dressed there; some said I was the worst." Stauskas was one of three Wolver- ines chosen in the 2014 NBA Draft, marking the first time the program produced five picks in a two-year span, while the Maize and Blue matched the 2012 Kentucky team as the only two schools in the last 25 years to see all five starters from its NCAA championship game lineup go in the first two rounds. Michigan's 2013 finals starters were Trey Burke (Round 1, 2013), Tim Hardaway Jr. (Round 1, 2013), Nik Stauskas (Round 1, 2014), Mitch McGary (Round 1, 2014) and Glenn Robinson III (Round 2, 2014). McGary also went higher than forecasted, hearing his name called by the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 21, while Robinson slipped to the 10th pick of the second round, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, after pre-draft momentum suggested he would squeeze into the first round. "I was surprised," Robinson ad- mitted, before turning his attention to the positives of his slot. "It's a spot that I think will have a lot of oppor- tunities for me. The Timberwolves staff saw me as a steal in the second round — they told me they couldn't believe I was still there." MAKING HISTORY First-Round Picks Nik Stauskas And Mitch McGary Highlight Record-Setting Night For Michigan Basketball