TicketsMaxiell Hopes to Join UC Draft Alums
Contact: Brian Teter
6/28/2005
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Jason Maxiell hopes to join recent University of Cincinnati basketball alumni in the NBA when the league holds is draft on Tuesday.
Maxiell, the Bearcats 6-7 power forward from Carrollton, Texas, will be out to become the ninth Bearcat selected in the draft over the last nine years and the first since Steve Logan was taken with the first pick of the second round of the 2002 draft.
Eleven Bearcats have been drafted since 1993, when Corie Blount was taken in the first round by the Chicago Bulls and Nick Van Exel was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 2000 NBA Draft was a rich one for Cincinnati as Kenyon Martin was the No. 1 selection of the entire draft, taken by the New Jersey Nets. DerMarr Johnson was taken with the No. 6 pick by the Atlanta Hawks and Pete Mickeal was the No. 58 pick of the draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
Six former Bearcats were on NBA rosters when the 2005 season concluded: Tony Bobbitt, Los Angeles Lakers; Danny Fortson, Seattle Super Sonics; Johnson and Martin, both with the Denver Nuggets; Ruben Patterson and Van Exel, both the Portland Trail Blazers.
Maxiell averaged 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds last season while helping Cincinnati to a 25-8 record. He was a second team All-Conference USA selection and earned first team NABC All-District 10 honors.