NEW YORK — For the second straight year, a Syracuse point guard is a first-round pick in the NBA Draft.

Following in Michael Carter-Williams’ footsteps, Tyler Ennis was selected 18th overall by the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He was the fourth point guard selected, after the Boston Celtics took Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart sixth overall, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Elfred Payton of Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 10 and the Minnesota Timberwolves chose former UCLA man Zach Lavine at No. 12 overall.

In his one season with the Orange, Ennis seamlessly took over the point guard position and was instrumental to SU’s program-record 25-0 start. He played in all 34 games and averaged 12.9 points, 5.5 assists and 2.1 steals per contest.

Ennis developed a knack for late-game heroics, highlighted by his 3-pointer from 35 feet out as time expired to steal a win from Pittsburgh and extend Syracuse’s undefeated run.

He also took the Orange’s final shot of the year, a 3-point attempt that rimmed out in the final seconds of SU’s loss to Dayton in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. He officially declared for the draft five days later.

There remains some doubt about his athleticism, his ability to play man-to-man and his outside shooting as an NBA prospect, but his poise and knowledge of the game were more than enough to make him worthy of a first-round selection.

“I’m real excited,” he said. “I think at this point, everybody just wants to hear their name called.

“I’m more than ready to work.”

Published on June 26, 2014 at 2:42 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb