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NBA Draft: First Round Picks From Auburn Since 1978

By Jake Mastroianni

May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 21, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; A bald eagle named Spirt circles the field at Jordan Hare Stadium before between the Auburn Tigers and the Idaho Vandals at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; A bald eagle named Spirt circles the field at Jordan Hare Stadium before between the Auburn Tigers and the Idaho Vandals at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /

Mamadou N’Diaye

Maybe one of the greatest names in Auburn basketball history, and one of the more exciting players to watch of my generation, Mamadou N’Diaye helped bring Auburn back to the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and 2000.

His numbers at Auburn won’t wow you as he averaged just 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in his career at Auburn that spanned from 1996-2000, but that shouldn’t diminish his presence on a basketball court. His senior year at Auburn in 2000 he had his best season averaging 8.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

After helping the Tigers win the regular season SEC Title in 1999 with a 14-2 record, Auburn earned it’s one and only number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 13 years. Mamadou and the Tigers made another trip to the tournament in 2000 as a 7 seed, but were eliminated in the second round.

Mamadou N’Diaye was then taken with the 26th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, but was then traded to the Toronto Raptors where he spent his first three seasons in the NBA. He later would play for Dallas and Atlanta before ending his five year career with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Unfortunately Mamadou N’Diaye did not have the success as other first round picks in the NBA Draft from Auburn. He averaged just 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in his 69 games played. He also never made an appearance in the NBA Playoffs, but Auburn fans will never forget that name!

It was great going back and looking at all the superstars that have played basketball at Auburn and went on to have so much success in the NBA after being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Of course there are others that also had great careers at the next level, but these are just the ones who were taken in the first round.

Next: Overview of Basketball’s 2016 Recruiting Class and What Each Player Brings

Hopefully it won’t be long before we can add to this list of first round picks from Auburn in the NBA Draft, and end Auburn’s NCAA Tournament drought!

War Eagle!

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