By Gary Lloyd
A former Hewitt-Trussville basketball standout could be drafted in tonight’s NBA Draft, which will be televised beginning at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Christian Watford, who played at Hewitt-Trussville for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons, is projected to be a second round pick.
Watford played four seasons at Indiana, where he is ninth in school history in scoring with 1,730 career points.
Watford averaged 12 points per game as a freshman, 16 as a sophomore, 12.6 as a junior and 12.3 as a senior. He averaged a career-high 6.25 rebounds per game as a senior.
As a junior, Watford won the ESPY award for the 2012 “Best Play” for hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat No. 1 Kentucky 73-72. He scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in that game.
Watford averaged 16.8 points and 10 rebounds per game as a high school sophomore at Hewitt-Trussville. He was an Alabama Sports Writers Association honorable mention all-state player for the 2006-2007 season. Watford played his final two high school seasons at Shades Valley, where he was a first-team all-state selection his senior year, in which he averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds per game.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.