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Former Michigan Wolverines wing Ignas Brazdeikis will soon be playing his home games at Madison Square Garden.
Iggy was drafted by the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA Draft on Thursday night with the 47th overall pick. The Knicks traded up with the Sacramento Kings to land Brazdeikis.
Ignas Brazdeikis is headed to the #Knicks (via a trade from the #Kings) in the second round of the 2019 #NBADraft.
— Michigan Alumni (@michiganalumni) June 21, 2019
Congrats, @_iggy_braz! pic.twitter.com/3jYBELFqZU
In Brazdeikis’ one year at Michigan, he made his presence known and became a star and beloved player in a short amount of time. On the year, Iggy averaged 14.8 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 39% from three.
The 6-foot-7 Canadian impressed scouts at the NBA Combine with his speed and versatility. “I think I was able to show a little bit of my maturity out there,” Brazdeikis said at the combine. “I definitely showed how I can score the ball, but I think I rebounded the ball well, I defended pretty hard. So I think I just showed that I can be out there and play among the best.”
John Beilein was happy to hear the news about his former pupil:
Congrats to @_iggy_braz on being drafted by NY The Knicks are going to love that young man. He is a winner in every way. Thanks Ignas for all you did for @umichbball this past year #Goblue
— John Beilein (@JohnBeilein) June 21, 2019
Brazdeikis has a shot to play significant minutes next season, as the Knicks roster is a work in progress. Their biggest pick of the night was Duke’s R.J. Barrett at No. 3 overall. Maybe, just maybe, the Knicks can turn things around and get back to yearly playoff appearances with help from Iggy and RJ.