Cavs Draft Okoro In First Round
Updated with Cavaliers official release – 1:33pm – 11-19-20
With the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Auburn small forward Isaac Okoro.
A one and done kid, the 6’6-225 pound Okoro is known first for his defense. Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl said he believes Okoro can guard any position 1 through 5.
His scouting report says he’s an athletic, physical wing player, with a decent handle, can pass, has a high basketball IQ, but must improve his outside shot and become a better scorer. Only connected on 29% from 3-point range in college and 67% from the free throw line.
Averaged 12.9 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game in his only season at Auburn.
(Cavaliers official release)
CAVALIERS SELECT ISAAC OKORO WITH FIFTH OVERALL PICK IN 2020 NBA DRAFT
GUARD/FORWARD WAS NAMED TO 2019-20 ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM, ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM AND ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM;
WAS JUST THE SIXTH PLAYER IN SEC HISTORY TO EARN ALL THREE HONORS IN ONE SEASON
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have selected guard/forward Isaac Okoro (oh-CORE-oh) from Auburn University with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
In his lone collegiate season at Auburn in 2019-20, Okoro (6-6, 225) played in 28 games (all starts), averaging 12.8 points on .514 shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31.5 minutes per game. He was named to the 2019-20 All-SEC Second Team, All-Freshman Team and All-Defensive Team, becoming just the sixth player in SEC history to be named to an All-Conference Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Freshman Team in the same season, joining Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2011-12), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2011-12) and Nerlens Noel (2012-13), LSU’s Jordan Mickey (2013-14) and Texas A&M’s Robert Williams (2016-17). Okoro is Auburn’s highest draft pick since Chris Morris was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft.
Okoro finished the 2019-20 season ranked 10th among all NCAA Division I freshmen in field goal percentage (.514) and was named to the Auburn Athletic Director’s Honor Roll after maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA in the fall. He became just the fourth Auburn player to ever earn SEC Freshman of the Week twice in a season (Nov. 18 and Dec. 9) and was the second Auburn freshman since 1990 to score in double figures in each of his first six NCAA games. Okoro won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He attended McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, where he averaged 19.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.7 steals as a senior in 2018-19 and led the team to a state championship.
