Hamilton Selected in NBA Draft

Washington, D.C. -- University of Nebraska center Venson Hamilton was selected in the second round by the Houston Rockets during the 1999 National Basketball Association Draft at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening. Hamilton joins Tyronn Lue (1998), Eric Piatkowski (1994) and Rich King (1991) as Husker draftees this decade. Hamilton was the 50th overall selection and the second Big 12 Player picked.

The Big 12 Player of the Year in 1999, Hamilton averaged 15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game. NU's all-time rebounding and shot-blocking leader, the Forest City, N.C., native became only the fourth person in Big Eight/Big 12 history to score 1,000 points, pull down 1,000 rebounds and block 200 shots in a career, joining Danny Manning, Wayman Tisdale and Byron Houston. Hamilton finished his career with 1,080 rebounds and 241 blocks.

In 1998-99, Hamilton scored in double figures in 28 of 33 games, including 21 of his last 22 outings. He scored a career-high 26 points against Washington State and hauled down a season-high 16 rebounds against Colorado to earn honorable-mention All-America honors by The Associated Press. As a senior, he grabbed a school-record 335 rebounds (10.2 rpg, 11th in nation) and blocked a career-high 80 shots (2.42 bpg, 24th in nation).

On his career, he shot 50 percent from the floor all four seasons and owns three of the top six rebounding seasons in school history. Hamilton also finished his career third in school history with 186 steals and ninth in scoring with 1,416 points.

Hamilton's Career Statistics
SEASON	G	FGM	FGA	PCT	FTM	FTA	PCT	REB	AST	PTS	AVG
1995-96	32	71	130	.546	54	100	.540	161	19	196	6.1
1996-97	32	124	215	.577	96	148	.649	269	33	344	10.8
1997-98	33	139	269	.517	80	144	.556	315	58	358	11.2
1998-99	33	194	388	.500	130	198	.657	335	54	518	15.7
TOTALS	129	528	1,002	.527	360	590	.610	1,080	164	1,416	11.0
Three-point field goals: Totals: 0-for-2 (.000.)