Louisville forward Jordan Nwora is heading to Milwaukee, selected by the Bucks with the 45th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
πππ ππππ ππ¨ ππ£.@JordanNwora β‘οΈ @Bucks #GoCards x @LouisvilleMBB pic.twitter.com/ulY39YsvyQ
— Louisville Athletics (@GoCards) November 19, 2020
MILWAUKEEEEEEEEEE
— Jordan Nwora (@JordanNwora) November 19, 2020
With the 45th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select Jordan Nwora!!#BucksDraft | @JordanNwora π³π¬ pic.twitter.com/AdNTkGpaFS
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 19, 2020
Nwora becomes the 14th Louisville Cardinal to get drafted in the NBA since 2000 (76th in school history). He also becomes the seventh U of L player currently in the NBA, joining Montrezl Harrell, Donovan Mitchell, Terry Rozier, Ray Spalding, Damion Lee, and Gorgui Dieng.
The Buffalo, NY native averaged 17 and 18 points per game in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, respectively, earning All-ACC Honors in both years (third team in 2018-19, first team in 2019-20). In his 2019 campaign, the junior averaged 18 PPG on a shooting split of 44/40/81, with 7.7 rebounds per game, also earning third team All-American honors with the Associated Press, USBWA, Sporting News, and the NABC.
Yessirrrrr slim!!!! @JordanNwora https://t.co/RNC7XkvOKY
— Damion Lee (@Dami0nLee) November 19, 2020
ππ―π’ππͺ β© Reality
ππ¬π²π¦π°π³π¦π©π©π’ β© @Bucks
CONGRATS @JordanNwora!!!!#NBADraft pic.twitter.com/3m4A0FiNmn
— Louisville Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) November 19, 2020
(click more for press release from UofL)
Louisvilleβs Nwora Selected by Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Draft
Cardsβ 2019-20 All-America selection was taken in the second round with the 45th pick overall
LOUISVILLE, Ky. βJordan Nwora, a junior forward for the University of Louisville last season, has been selected in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 45th pick overall.
During the 2019-20 season, Nwora was the only player to collectively rank among the ACC’s top ten in scoring (18.0 ppg, second in the ACC), rebounding (7.7, 8th), free throw percentage (.813, 4th), field goal percentage (.440, 8th) and three-pointers made per game (2.5, 2nd).
Nwora has been among the finest shooters in the nation.Β His 76 three-point goals in 2019-20 were the 11th-most in a single season at Louisville, one less than his sophomore year total of 77, which ranks 10th.Β He finished his career tied for 31st in career scoring with 1,294 points, seventh in career three-point percentage (.394) and 11th in career three-pointers (178).Β He scored 20 or more points in 14 games, including a career-high 37 points at Boston College on Jan. 29 when he buried seven three-pointers.
A total of 76 former Louisville players have been selected in the NBA Draft, including nine in the last eight years.Β UofL is one of just 10 schools in the nation with 70+ draft picks.Β In addition to Nwora, those recent picks include Ray Spalding (2018, 2nd round, 56th overall selection, Philadelphia 76ers), Donovan Mitchell (2017, 1st round, 13th overall, Denver Nuggets), Chinanu Onuaku (2016, 2nd round, 37th overall, Houston Rockets), Terry Rozier (2015, 1st round, 16th, Boston Celtics), Montrezl Harrell (2015, 2nd, 32nd, Houston Rockets), Russ Smith (2014, 2nd, 47th, Philadelphia 76ers), Gorgui Dieng (2013, 1st, 21st, Utah Jazz) and Peyton Siva (2013, 2nd, 56th, Detroit Pistons).
Four recent Cardinals reached the NBA as undrafted free agents over the last four years, including Deng Adel (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2018), Jaylen Johnson (Chicago Bulls, 2018), Mangok Mathiang (Charlotte Hornets, 2017) and Damion Lee (Atlanta Hawks/Golden State Warriors, 2017).
Louisville has produced 25 first-round NBA Draft choices, including 12 in the top ten and six among the top three picks (Pervis Ellison first in 1989; Wes Unseld second in 1968; Darrell Griffith second in 1980; Charlie Tyra second in 1957; Rodney McCray third in 1983; George Hauptfuhrer third in 1948).
Nwora became the Cardinals’ 21st All-America selection in 2019-20 and first since Russ Smith was a consensus first team All-America choice in 2014.Β He was named to All-America third teams by The Associated Press, NABC, The Sporting News, US Basketball Writers Association, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Athletic. He is just the 12th consensus first, second or third team All-America selection for the Cardinals (10 individuals honored on 12 occasions).
Nwora was named to the 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-America basketball second team and earned his third straight All-ACC Academic Men’s Basketball Team honor.Β A first-team All-ACC selection who was the second-leading vote-getter and finished second in the conference player of the year voting, he is only the Cardinals’ second All-ACC first team selection in Louisville’s six years in the ACC.
In ACC games during the 2019-20 season, Nwora made 41.9 percent of his three-point shots (52-of-124, second in the ACC) and 84.9 percent at the free throw line (62-of-73, 3rd in the ACC).Β Nwora scored in double figures in 27 games as a junior and on 67 occasions in his career.Β He had seven double-doubles on the season and 16 in the last two years.
