By Bradley Corbett
After a 10-year drought, Travis Hansen became the first BYU basketball player to be drafted in the NBA since Shawn Bradley.
With the 37th pick in Thursday''s NBA draft, the Atlanta Hawks selected the former BYU star.
'I''m very excited,' Hansen said. 'I love Atlanta. I''m looking forward to playing there.'
Hansen, who led BYU in scoring the last two years, was projected by some experts to be picked in the first round of the draft, which ensures a minimum three-year contract. Hansen fell to the early second round.
'Everybody wants to go in the first round, but I''m really happy going early in the second,' Hansen said. 'In fact it might be a better situation for me. I can go down there and get a chance to play.'
Hansen impressed many during the season, but made a real name for himself in the two NBA pre-draft camps he attended.
'I thought 10 or 15 different teams could have picked me,' Hansen said. 'There were lots of possibilities.'
Many NBA teams, such as the Lakers and Spurs, invited Hansen in for personal workouts. The Hawks also had Hansen in and were very impressed with him. Hansen said the things he brings to the Hawks are his shooting ability and his defense.
Hansen will get a week to spend with his family, then on July 6 he will go to the summer league in Boston, which lasts for a week. He will then report to training camp with the Hawks and find his role on the team.
Steve Cleveland, head coach for the Cougars, said this is a great honor for Travis and well deserved. Cleveland said the first time he saw Travis play was the end of his freshman year at UVSC and he loved how athletic he was and how fiery of a competitor he was.
However, Cleveland noted this hasn''t come to Travis without his hard, dedicated work.
Hansen was known for his great leadership and scoring ability but his defense was also stellar. He was awarded the Mountain West Conference co-defensive player of the year in 2003. His counterpart in this award was Marcus Banks from UNLV selected No. 13 by the Memphis Grizzlies, but later was traded to the Boston Celtics.
Hansen being drafted bodes well for the Mountain West Conference and for BYU.
'This is a good thing for our program,' Cleveland said. 'It shows how far we''ve come in the last five years in recapturing the tradition of the past.'
It also brings exposure to BYU. Travis said that this is great for the program and well help bring in some more great players.
Cleveland said this a good thing for recruiting new players because it shows BYU is a place for players to come in and develop their skills that will help them play professionally.
As far as any future BYU players making the jump from college to the pros, Cleveland said Cougar center Rafael Araujo and guard Mark Bigelow have a the best chance in the future.
One reason some feel Hansen may have fallen to the second round is his age. Hansen who turned 25 in April was one of the oldest players in the draft. However, Cleveland believes Hansen is mature and will last a long time in the league.
'Any team who selects Travis is getting a great basketball player and a great person,' Cleveland said.
The BYU basketball team will be traveling to Australia to play five games in 10 days beginning on Aug. 10.
With the 19th pick in the draft, the Utah Jazz selected Aleksandar Pavlovic from Serbia.