Greenville, S.C. – Furman's
Jalen Slawson was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 54th overall pick in the second round of Thursday night's NBA Draft presented by State Farm at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Slawson, a native of Summerville, S.C., is the Southern Conference-best 16
th Paladin to be selected in the NBA Draft and first since the Los Angeles Lakers chose Kershaw, S.C., native and three-time All-SoCon pick George Singleton in the third round in 1984. The 2023 SoCon Player of the Year and a two-time first team All-SoCon choice, Slawson is the highest draft choice among former Paladins since forward Clyde Mayes was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 22
nd overall pick in 1975.
"Being a part of this Furman program has meant the world to me," said Slawson. "This organization has been world class, and I believe I am the first of many Furman draft picks to come. I appreciate the support of the fans and the whole Furman family over my five years here. I love all you guys and thanks for the support."
This past season, Slawson led Furman to a 28-8 record, Southern Conference regular season title, its first SoCon Tournament title since 1980, and its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1974. The 6-foot-7 forward poured in 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Paladins to a 68-67 victory over No. 4 seed Virginia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Orlando, Fla., that grabbed national attention when
JP Pegues drained a game-winning three-pointer with less than three seconds remaining to produce one of the most memorable moments of the tournament.
"I am extremely grateful to the Sacramento Kings organization for giving me the opportunity to start my NBA career," Slawson added. "I can't wait to get to work. Go Kings!"
Slawson finished the 2023 season averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocked shots per game. He poured in a season-high 27 points in a victory over Mercer in his final game at Timmons Arena in February before scoring 20 points in the Paladins' 88-79 win over Chattanooga in the league final. In addition to ranking fifth in the SoCon in scoring and rebounding, Slawson finished fourth in field goal percentage (55.5%), seventh in assist per game, 12
th in free throw percentage (77.5%), sixth in steals per game, 10
th in three-point field goal percentage (39.0%), and second in blocked shots per game.
The newest Sacramento King concluded his Furman career ranked 19
th in scoring (1,509 points), ninth in career rebounds (839), third in steals (192), third in blocked shots (182), and 12
th all-time in assists (364). Along with fellow fifth-year senior
Mike Bothwell, he established a new Furman standard with 116 career victories. Over the past five season, Furman has posted a 116-44 overall record and 65-22 league mark, including wins over Villanova, Loyola Chicago (twice), Louisville, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Frank Selvy, a 2022 National College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, is Furman's highest ever draft pick. The Corbin, Ky., product was selected by the Baltimore Bullets with the first pick in the 1954 NBA Draft and was a two-time all-star with the Milwaukee Hawks in 1955 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1962.
FURMAN IN THE NBA DRAFT
Year Player Round Pick Team
1953 Nield Gordon 3 17 New York Knicks
1954 Frank Selvy 1 1 Baltimore Bullets
1956 Darrell Floyd 3 18 St. Louis Hawks
1963 Jerry Smith 2 12 Detroit Pistons
1963 Gerald Glur 10 74 New York Knicks
1970 Joe Brunson 12 187 Seattle Supersonics
1971 Lisco Thomas 15 223 Chicago Bulls
1973 Roy Simpson 5 81 Chicago Bulls
1973 Russ Hunt 10 161 Chicago Bulls
1975 Clyde Mayes 2 22 Milwaukee Bucks
1975 Fessor Leonard 4 71 Washington Bullets
1979 Al Daniel 4 84 San Antonio Spurs
1980 Jonathan Moore 3 64 Detroit Pistons
1982 Mel Daniel 6 128 New Jersey Nets
1984 George Singleton 3 69 Los Angeles Lakers
2023
Jalen Slawson 2 54 Sacramento Kings
