June 28, 2006

By Tony Haynes

Raleigh, N.C. - It's been more than 30 years since NC State had two of it men's basketball players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in back-to-back years. That streak will likely come to an end tonight when the 2006 draft gets underway in New York. Following a series of eye-popping workouts for NBA coaches and general managers this spring, the Wolfpack's Cedric Simmons has, from all indications, gone from being a marginal first-round pick to becoming a near lock for the draft lottery.

Some pre-draft projections have the 6-9 forward going as high as 7th to Boston.

Either way, Simmons is slated to become NC State's second straight first-round selection a year after former ACC Player of the Year Julius Hodge was the 20th overall pick, taken by Denver.

The last time the Pack produced first round picks in back-to-back years, the players involved were named Tommy Burleson and David Thompson. Burleson, a 7-4 center, was taken by Seattle in the first round of the 1974 draft. About 12 months later, Atlanta used the No. 1 overall selection on the legendary Thompson, who eventually decided to accept an offer from Denver of the old ABA.

After being used as a part-time player his freshman year, Simmons became one of the ACC's most improved performers last season, averaging 11.8 points and 6.3 rebounds, to go along with a team-leading 80 blocked shots.

It was actually during a nationally televised game at Duke on January 18th that Simmons may have started to raise some eyebrows. Going head-to-head against another projected lottery selection, Duke's Shelden Williams, Simmons tallied 28 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in the Wolfpack's 81-68 defeat at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

After watching Simmons post 13 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots against Iowa back in November, NC State assistant coach Archie Miller said "that guy is a future lottery pick."

Miller, no doubt, figured that lofty prediction might come true following Simmons' junior or senior year. As it turns out, the big guy from Supply, North Carolina is going to make it happen sooner than expected.