USF Star Izaiyah Nelson Heads to the NBA After Historic Season

For the first time in 16 years, a South Florida Bull has been selected in the NBA Draft. That player is Izaiyah Nelson, who has cemented himself as one of the most decorated players in Bulls basketball history.

Nelson was selected with the No. 51 pick by the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at Barclays Center.

He becomes the ninth Bull to be drafted into the NBA and the first since Dominique Jones was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 25 pick in 2010. Nelson is tied for the third-highest draft pick in USF history.

While Nelson is the first USF player drafted by the Magic, he will not be the first Bull to play his rookie season in Orlando. Former Bulls guard Chucky Atkins signed with the Magic as an undrafted free agent in 1999 and went on to earn NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.

Nelson spent only one season in Tampa, but he made the most of it. He averaged 15.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and three stocks (steals and blocks combined) per game last season. His 18 double-doubles ranked ninth in the nation.

His production earned him American Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors. Nelson is the first player in conference history to win all three awards in the same season and just the second player in conference history to win both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, joining Gary Clark of Cincinnati in 2018.

Nelson is the third USF player to earn conference Player of the Year honors. He is the first Bull to win the award outright and was a unanimous selection.

Last season, Nelson helped lead the Bulls to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012. USF won both the regular-season and conference tournament championships in the same season for the first time in program history.

Nelson is being drafted because of his high motor, defensive versatility and rebounding ability. His relentless effort makes him a valuable player on both ends of the floor.

He will have a chance to compete for playing time, with his skill set potentially filling some pressing needs for the Magic. Orlando finished 19th in the NBA in rebounding and 17th in blocked shots last season.

The Magic’s frontcourt rotation of Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac was inconsistent last season. New Orlando coach Sean Sweeney could turn to Nelson to provide a spark in the frontcourt.

Nelson’s selection cements him as one of the greatest players in USF basketball history. It’s safe to say the Magic gained even more support from the Tampa Bay area after Wednesday night.