Orlando Johnson is UCSB’s all-time leading scorer. (Presidio Sports File Photo)
Orlando Johnson became the first UCSB player since Brian Shaw to be selected in the NBA Draft on Thursday, going to the Sacramento Kings with the No. 36 pick.
The Kings then traded Johnson to the Indiana Pacers, where Shaw is the assistant coach.
Johnson leaves UCSB as the Gauchos’ all-time leading scorer. The California native led UCSB to two NCAA appearances in three years in Santa Barbara.
The 23 year old is listed as 6’5″ and 205 pounds and joins a Pacers team that had already drafted Miles Plumlee from Duke with the 26th pick.
Indiana, which fell to Miami in the second round of the playoffs, is already one of the younger teams in the league and has seven players under contract for next year. Two others, Roy Hibbert and George Hill, are restricted free agents that have a good chance of returning.
NBA second-round draft picks do not get guaranteed contracts like first-rounders, so Johnson will have to make the team come training camp.
Johnson is strong for his size and can shoot well with good range. He likes to rebound and is not afraid of contact. The right-handed shooter averaged 19.7 points per game as a senior with 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.7 three-point makes per game.
