1997 NBA draft

Draft selections

Notable undrafted players

These players eligible for the 1997 NBA Draft were not selected but played in the NBA.

Early entrants

College underclassmen

This year saw a continued rise of collegiate underclassmen and other players of similar nature declaring entry into the NBA draft. This year initially saw a total of 47 eligible players enter the draft at first, but seven of these players (including Cory Carr from Texas Tech University, former DePaul University player Ronnie Fields from the St. Paul Slam! in the International Basketball Association, the Greek born Dimitrios Papanikolaou of the Olympiacos Piraeus B.C. in Greece, Larell Redic from Utah State University, Dawood Thomas from the California University of Pennsylvania, the Turkish-Yugoslavian born Mirsad Türkcan of the Efes Pilsen in Turkey, and the Argentinian-Spanish born Lucas Victoriano of the Olimpia Venado Tuerto in Argentina) would later decline their entry for this year's draft. Including the likes of high school phenom Tracy McGrady from Mount Zion Christian Academy, the Slovenian born Marko Milič of the Smelt Olimpija in Slovenia, and former Central Connecticut State University player Keith Closs of the Norwich Neptunes from the Atlantic Basketball Association minor league, the number of qualified underclassmen would increase from 37 only in college to 40 total players. Regardless, the following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.

• USA Gracen Averil – G, Texas Tech (junior)
• USA Tony Battie – F/C, Texas Tech (junior)
• USA Chauncey Billups – G, Colorado (sophomore)
• USA Carl Blanton – F, Sinclair CC (junior)
• USA Mark Blount – C/F, Pittsburgh (sophomore)
• AUS C. J. Bruton – G, Indian Hills CC (sophomore)
• USA Dan Buie – F, Washburn (junior)
• USA James Cotton – G, Long Beach State (junior)
• USA Tony Doyle – F, Columbia (junior)
• USA Ian Folmar – F, Slippery Rock (junior)
• USA Danny Fortson – F, Cincinnati (junior)
• VIN Adonal Foyle – C/F, Colgate (junior)
• USA Darryl Hardy – F, Winston–Salem State (junior)
• USA Antjonne Holmes – F, Central Baptist (freshman)
• USA Troy Hudson – G, Southern Illinois (junior)
• USA Marc Jackson – F/C, Temple
• USA Stephen Jackson – F/G, Butler CC (freshman)
• USA Ed Jenkins – F, Ohio State (junior)
• USA Marcus Johnson – F, Long Beach State (junior)
• USA Damon Jones – G, Houston (junior)
• USA Nate Langley – G, George Mason (junior)
• USA Keith Love – G, Rosary (junior)
• USA Gordon Malone – F, West Virginia (junior)
• USA Amere May – F, Shaw (junior)
• USA Elgie McCoy – F, Kutztown (junior)
• USA Ron Mercer – G/F, Kentucky (sophomore)
• USA Victor Page – G, Georgetown (sophomore)
• USA Shawn Ritzie – G, Norwalk CC (sophomore)
• AUS Paul Rogers – F/C, Gonzaga (junior)
• USA Bryon Ruffner – F, BYU (junior)
• FRA Olivier Saint-Jean – San Jose State (junior)
• USA Mark Sanford – F, Washington (junior)
• USA God Shammgod – G, Providence (sophomore)
• USA Maurice Taylor – F, Michigan (junior)
• USA Tim Thomas – F, Villanova (freshman)
• USA Mark Young – F, Kansas State (junior)

High school players

This would be the third year in a row where high school players were allowed entry into the NBA draft after previously only doing it back in 1975. However, only one player would go directly from high school to enter the NBA this year. The following high school player successfully applied for early draft entrance.

• USA Tracy McGrady – G/F, Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina)

International players

This year, only one international born player would officially enter the NBA draft after seeing three other international players initially declare their interest in entering this year's draft. The following international player successfully applied for early draft entrance.

• SLO Marko Milič – G/F, Smelt Olimpija (Slovenia)

Other eligible players

This year marked the third time in NBA history (the first two times being in 1971 and 1987) that an eligible underclassman player of sorts would declare entry for an NBA draft by playing minor league basketball within the U.S.A. first (as well as have it be the first time that it wouldn't involve the Continental Basketball Association or its previous name in the Eastern Basketball Association). It would also be the fourth time that a player would declare entry while also playing in another American basketball league, with the second case of this occurring in 1973 with David Brent being allowed entry into the NBA draft despite him already playing for the Carolina Cougars of the rivaling American Basketball Association at the time.

References

References

1. [http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2007/05/21/luck_of_draw_went_spurs_way_in_97_with_duncan Peter May. May 21, 2007. "Luck of draw went Spurs' way in '97 with Duncan - The Boston Globe". ''Boston Globe'']
2. (August 12, 2008). "Virgin Islands". CIA World Factbook.
3. (August 4, 2007). "1997 Underclassmen".
4. (November 30, 2007). "Keith Closs 1997 Underclassmen".