2023 NBA Draft: Villanova's Cam Whitmore selected 20th overall by Houston Rockets
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Villanova forward Cam Whitmore fell out of the draft lottery, but was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Thursday night in Brooklyn. He became the first Wildcat to be a one-and-done since Tim Thomas in 1997.
Whitmore, who dealt with a thumb injury that sidelined him early in the season from October to early December, appeared in 25 games as a freshman at 'Nova in Kyle Neptune's first year as head coach after replacing Hall of Famer Jay Wright.
With the 20th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the @HoustonRockets select Cam Whitmore! @_camwhitmore_ pic.twitter.com/PdZRWGeD1w
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) June 23, 2023
Whitmore averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and shot 34% on 3-pointers in the 2022-23 season. He was named Big East Freshman of the Year and unanimously selected to the Big East All-Freshman Team.
Whitmore's best individual performance of the season was against Xavier in January. The 6-foot, 7-inch forward scored a career-high 26 points on 11 of 18 shooting from the field, but the Wildcats lost, 88-80, to Xavier.
Leading up to the draft, Whitmore was projected to be selected in the lottery, but he slipped Thursday night.
Teams reportedly had fears of Whitmore's medicals, according to Bleacher Report.
"There have been some concerns over Cam Whitmore's medicals, which could cause a few teams to pass in the mid-lottery, per sources," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote.
But, Whitmore still has tremendous upside and now joins a Rocket squad with young talent like Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün , Kevin Porter Jr. and Jabari Smith.
CBS Sports had Whitmore ranked as the fifth best prospect in the draft and the third best small-forward.
Whitmore joins a long list of former Villanova players who have made it in the NBA over the years. Since 2017, nine Villanova players have been picked on draft night, including New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges.
Before Villanova, Whitmore was highly recruited out of Archbishop Spalding in Maryland. He chose 'Nova over the University of Connecticut, the University of Florida, the University of Miami, the University of Notre Dame, among others.
At Archbishop Spalding, Whitmore was the 2022 Gatorade Maryland Boys' Basketball Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-American.