June 26, 2008
New Jersey Nets Official Website
STANFORD, Calif.- Stanford sophomores Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez were both selected in the 2008 NBA Draft tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Brook Lopez was chosen as the 10th overall pick by the New Jersey Nets while Robin Lopez was tabbed as the 15th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns. The twin brothers leave Stanford after completing two seasons on The Farm.
Tonight represents only the second time in school history that two Cardinal players were selected in the first round, as Curtis Borchardt was chosen 18th by the Orlando Magic and Casey Jacobsen was taken 22nd by the Phoenix Suns back in 2002.
Also prior to tonight, Stanford's most recent NBA Draft choice was Josh Childress, who was taken sixth overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2004.
The selections of Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez bring Stanford's overall total of first round NBA Draft picks to 11. The Cardinal has tallied seven first round choices since 2000 and eight NBA Draft picks overall during that same stretch.
Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez are the 29th and 30th NBA/ABA Draft choices, respectively, in Stanford men's basketball history.
Brook Lopez was named a third team All-American selection by the Associated Press, adding to his lengthy list of honors during the 2007-08 campaign. He became the first Cardinal to earn All-America recognition since Childress was recognized by multiple organizations in 2004, including first team AP honors.
An All-Pac-10 first team honoree, Brook was also selected as an all-district performer by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) in District IX. In 27 games this year, the 7-0 forward averaged 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8-percent from the field and 78.9-percent from the foul line. He notched nine double-doubles, scored in double-figures 25 times and led the Cardinal in scoring on 20 different occasions.
In two seasons on The Farm, Brook averaged 16.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while tallying 101 blocked shots and shooting 48.0-percent from the field in 53 games. He scored in double-figures in 41 of those contests and established a career-best of 31 points at Washington earlier this year.
Robin Lopez was tabbed an All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention selection and was also voted to the five-member Pac-10 All-Defensive team. The 7-0 center developed into a tremendous rebounder and intimidating defensive presence during his two years with the Cardinal. He started 30 of the team's 36 games this year, averaging 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while connecting at a 53.4-percent rate from the field.
Robin scored in double-figures in 17 games overall in 2007-08, including a career-high 24-point performance against Yale on Nov. 20 that featured 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. One year after establishing the freshman single-season record for blocked shots (73), he tallied 83 swats this season and now ranks second on the all-time Stanford list with 156 behind Tim Young (1994-99) at 167.
Robin played his best basketball down the stretch, scoring in double-figures in 11 of Stanford's final 15 games. He was extremely impressive in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 12.7 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 60.7-percent from the field.
In two seasons, Robin averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with 156 blocked shots in 67 contests. He scored in double-figures 27 times during his career and made 51.5-percent from the field.
In addition to Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez, Stanford currently boasts six active NBA players: Josh Childress, Atlanta Hawks), Jarron Collins (Utah Jazz), Jason Collins (Memphis Grizzlies), Casey Jacobsen (Memphis Grizzlies), Brevin Knight (Los Angeles Clippers) and Mark Madsen (Minnesota Timberwolves).