Baylor's Davion Mitchell, Jared Butler Selected in 2021 NBA Draft
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Baylor guards Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler were both selected by the in the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday night at Barclays Center. Mitchell was chosen No. 9 overall in the first round by the Sacramento Kings, while Butler was selected No. 40 overall in the second round by the New Orleans Pelicans, with reports that he’ll be traded to the Utah Jazz.
With the two picks tonight, Baylor has now had eight NBA Draft picks in the last 10 drafts, the most of any team in the state of Texas and the second-most in the Big 12 Conference since 2012. The Bears have accounted for eight of 28 draft picks from Texas universities since 2012.
The Bears have had nine NBA Draft picks in the Drew era – Ekpe Udoh (No. 6 in 2010), Perry Jones III (No. 28 in 2012), Quincy Acy (No. 37 in 2012), Quincy Miller (No. 38 in 2012), Pierre Jackson (No. 42 in 2014), Cory Jefferson (No. 60 in 2014), Taurean Prince (No. 12 in 2017), Mitchell (No. 9 in 2021) and Butler (No. 40 in 2021).
Mitchell’s selections marks the third top-10 draft pick in program history behind Udoh (No. 6 in 2010) and Vinnie Johnson (No. 7 in 1979). He’s the seventh first-round pick in program history, and the Bears have now had 22 all-time draft picks. Mitchell and Butler combine to give the Bears multiple draft picks in the same season for the third time, following Micheal Williams and Darryl Middleton in 1988 and Jones III, Miller and Acy in 2012.
Butler is the first Baylor player selected by the New Orleans Pelicans franchise, while Mitchell joins Alex Holcombe (1993, No. 44 overall) as the second BU player drafted by the Sacramento Kings.
Fellow draft-eligible Baylor players Mark Vital and MaCio Teague are now eligible to sign free agent contracts with any NBA team.
Vital, Teague, Butler and Mitchell combined to lead the Bears to the first Big 12 Championship and first National Championship in program history. BU won its first conference title since 1950 Southwest Conference play, and the Bears advanced to the third Final Four in program history (1948, 1950). That four-some combined to lead the Bears to a 54-6 record over the last two seasons.
Butler was named 2021 Final Four Most Outstanding Player and became the first consensus First-Team All-American in program history, while Mitchell was the 2021 National Defensive Player of the Year and was named 2021 NCAA South Regional MVP. Vital graduated as the Bears’ all-time leader in Big 12 victories (45) and was a three-time All-Big 12 selection, and Teague earned All-Conference honors in all four of his collegiate seasons, capping that off with All-America recognition in his senior season.
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BAYLOR NBA DRAFT HISTORY
YEAR NAMES, POS. RD PICK TEAM
1949 James Owens, G/F 2 21 Washington
1950 Don Heathington, F/C 9 - New York
1957 Jerry Mallett, G 4 31 Syracuse
1965 Spencer Carlson, F 10 79 St. Louis
1967 Darrell Hardy, C 3 21 Detroit
1971 William Chatmon, F 15 218 Buffalo
1979 Vinnie Johnson, G 1 7 Seattle
1982 Terry Teagle, G 1 16 Houston
1986 Carlos Briggs, G 4 79 San Antonio
1988 Micheal Williams, G 2 48 Detroit
1988 Darryl Middleton, F/C 3 68 Atlanta
1993 Alex Holcombe, C 2 44 Sacramento
1998 Brian Skinner, F/C 1 22 L.A. Clippers
2010 Ekpe Udoh, F/C 1 6 Golden State
2012 Perry Jones III, F 1 28 Oklahoma City
2012 Quincy Acy, F 2 37 Toronto
2012 Quincy Miller, F 2 38 Denver
2013 Pierre Jackson, G 2 42 Philadelphia
2014 Cory Jefferson, F 2 60 San Antonio
2016 Taurean Prince, F 1 12 Utah
2021 Davion Mitchell, G 1 9 Sacramento
2021 Jared Butler, G 2 40 New Orleans
BIG 12 NBA DRAFT PICKS SINCE 2012
Kansas – 13
BAYLOR – 8
Iowa State – 7
Texas – 7
Oklahoma – 4
Oklahoma State – 4
Texas Tech – 3
West Virginia – 2
Kansas State – 1
TCU – 1
NBA DRAFT PICKS FROM TEXAS SCHOOLS SINCE 2012
BAYLOR – 8
Texas – 7
SMU – 3
Texas Tech – 3
Houston – 2
Texas A&M – 2
North Texas – 1
TCU – 1
UT Arlington - 1