NEW YORK -- The Toronto Raptors selected former BYU All-American center Rafael Araujo with the eighth overall pick in the first round of 2004 NBA Draft Thursday, making Araujo the third-highest BYU player ever selected in the annual draft and the sixth Cougar to be taken in the first round.
BYU's Mel Hutchins (Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1951) and Shawn Bradley (Philadelphia 76ers in 1993) were both No. 2 overall picks, while Craig Raymond (No. 12 by Philadelphia 76ers in 1967), Michael Smith (No. 13 by Boston Celtics in 1989) and Greg Kite (No. 21 by Boston Celtics in 1983) were also Cougar first-round selections. Araujo is BYU's 43rd NBA Draft selection, the second-most picks among Mountain West Conference teams after UNLV's 49.
The 6-foot-11 Araujo came to the United States four years ago from Sao Paulo, Brazil, spending his first two years at Arizona Western College. After earning second-team NJCAA All-America honors at Arizona Western, Araujo excelled at BYU where he was the Mountain West Conference Co-Player of the Year in 2004 after leading the Cougars in scoring (18.4 ppg), rebounds (10.1 rpg) and steals (1.4 spg). He was named a Basketball Times Second Team All-American and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honoree.
Araujo started all 62 games at BYU for coach Steve Cleveland while helping the Cougars achieve back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. An all-conference player both years he played in the Mountain West Conference, Araujo led BYU and finished second in the MWC in rebounding during the past two seasons (10.1 and 8.9). He was 11th in nation in rebounds per game in 2004 and boasted the fourth-highest combined scoring and rebounding average nationally. He posted career highs of 32 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, five blocks and five steals as a Division I player under Cleveland's tutelage at BYU.
Highlighting the successful rebuilding efforts by Cleveland and his staff since taking over a 1-25 BYU program in 1997, the Cougars have had a player selected in the draft the past two years. The Atlanta Hawks selected Travis Hansen with the 37th pick in the second round in 2003. BYU earned its fifth straight postseason invitation in 2004, including NCAA Tournament bids in three of the past four seasons.
Araujo also achieved off the court, earning his bachelor's degree in recreation management from BYU in April despite not speaking English prior to his arrival in the United States just four years earlier. He and his wife Cheyenne also celebrated the birth of their first child, daughter Tais, in April.
Araujo joins Hansen and Dallas Maverick's center Shawn Bradley as BYU players currently in the NBA.