NBA Draft: First Round Picks From Auburn Since 1978
Chris Morris
Chris Morris was also part of those great Auburn basketball teams in the mid-to-late 80s along with Chuck Person that made deep runs into the NCAA Tournament. He was on The Plains from 1984-1988 where he averaged 13.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in his four seasons.
More from Fly War Eagle
- Ex-star Auburn DL confronts ‘slant man’ in MNF post-game video
- Ex-Auburn star laments not getting to face fellow Heisman candidate
- Analyst expects third-year RB to take AU rushing lead from surprising transfer
- Hugh Freeze was the right hire to truly embrace Auburn
- Auburn football Jack LB: ‘We’ve got to earn our respect back’
He really put it all together in his senior season when he averaged 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He was part of the 1985 team that went to the Sweet Sixteen and the 1986 team that made it to the Elite Eight, and in his final two seasons he helped take Auburn back to the NCAA Tournament, but they were eliminated in the second round each time. After his senior season in 1988 the Tigers wouldn’t make another NCAA Tournament appearance until 1999, 11 years later.
Morris was selected with the fourth overall pick – matching Chuck Person for the highest selection ever by an Auburn Tiger – by the New Jersey Nets in the 1988 NBA Draft.
He played for the Nets for seven seasons averaging 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game during his time in New Jersey. He then went on to spend three seasons with the Utah Jazz and finished his career with the Phoenix Suns.
Over his 11 seasons in the NBA he averaged 11 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, scoring a total of 8,184 points and grabbing 3,544 rebounds. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 1988-89 when he averaged 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Morris was part of those Jazz teams that lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals to Michael Jordan in his final championship.
Next: Wesley Person