Julian Wright
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| Position | Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Team | New Orleans Hornets |
| Jersey | #32 |
| Born | May 20, 1987 Chicago Heights, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Homewood-Flossmor, Flossmoor, Illinois |
| College | Kansas |
| Draft | 1st round, 13th overall, 2007 New Orleans Hornets |
| Pro career | 2007–present |
| Official profile | Info Page |
Julian Emil-Jamaal Wright (born May 20, 1987, in Chicago Heights, Illinois) is an American basketball player for the NBA's New Orleans Hornets. He played collegiately for the University of Kansas.
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[edit] High school career
Julian Wright played competitive basketball at Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Illinois. There he led the Vikings to second place in the IHSA state AA tournament his junior year, losing to Peoria Central in the championship game, who were led by Shaun Livingston of the Los Angeles Clippers. In 2005 he was selected to the McDonald's All-American team, and he was rated among the top ten basketball players in his class by several recruiting services)[1] due to his talent and versatility. At 6'8" and 225 lbs, Wright combines good size with excellent athleticism and skills, which allowed him to play numerous positions in high school, including point guard, small forward, and power forward.
[edit] College career
Wright entered the 2005-2006 NCAA season for the Kansas Jayhawks as the pre-season freshman of the year in the Big 12 Conference. Though he did not start at the beginning of the season, he quickly played his way into the starting power forward slot. His superior athleticism often allowed him to score baskets simply by virtue of his having beaten the defense down the court. A highlight of his freshman campaign may have been against the University of Texas in the Big 12 Tournament Championship game when he put an exclamation mark on KU's win with two magnificent breakaway slam dunks in the closing minutes of the game. During his freshman season, Wright averaged 8.5 points per game, but he was praised more for his ability to help his team without scoring. He was named to the All-Big 12 Tournament Team and the All-Big 12 Freshman Team along with fellow Kansas freshmen Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers. During the 2007 Tournament, he was again placed on the All-Tournament Team. Wright garnered national attention for a 33 point performance against the Missouri Tigers, highlighted by an emphatic dunk over Missouri's Kalen Grimes.
For his play during the 2006-2007 season, Wright was named a third team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches' All-America Team.[2]
Despite statements to the contrary, on Monday, April 9, 2007, Wright announced that he was making himself eligible for the NBA Draft. He hired an agent, making him ineligible to return to school prior to the draft.
[edit] NBA career
Wright was selected as the 13th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets. In his rookie season in the NBA, Wright has averaged 3.9 points a game and 2.1 rebounds a game.[3]
[edit] Personal
Wright is known for his interest in bowling His hometown is Chicago Heights, IL and he attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School class of 2005. </ref>SI.com - SI On Campus - Campus Reports: West Division - Wednesday March 21, 2007 1:37PM</ref>
[edit] References
- ^ See Class of 2005 rankings by Scout.com and Rivals.com.
- ^ "Three Big 12 Players Named To NABC All-America Teams", Big 12 Conference, March 10, 2007
- ^ Julian Wright Yahoo Sports Profile
[edit] External links
- Julian Wright Info Page at NBA.com
- Julian Wright @ Lawrence Journal World
- Julian Wright page at official U. Kansas sports page
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