Last Thursday, three UVA men’s basketball alums took the first step in their NBA careers. Trey Murphy III, the 6-foot-9, 206-pound guard, was drafted 17th overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, making him the 11th first-round pick from UVA and the ninth UVA player to be drafted under Tony Bennett. Murphy played at Rice University for two years before transferring to Virginia for the 2020-2021 season, when he averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Murphy was also the first NCAA Division I player to earn a spot in the esteemed 50-40-90 club (50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the line) since 2017-18.
As an undrafted free agent, Marquette transfer Sam Hauser agreed to a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics. The two-way contract means Hauser will likely spend his time playing for the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G-League affiliate, and hope that good performances earn him a spot on Boston’s main roster.
Jay Huff, who was a part of the 2019 national championship team, also didn’t hear his name called during the draft, so he agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Washington Wizards. The Exhibit 10 deal will give Huff the chance to potentially earn a two-way contract with the Wizards after participating in the team’s training camp.