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Every American University player drafted by the Lakers
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- Every American University player drafted by the Lakers
Every American University player drafted by the Lakers
American University, which is located in Washington, D.C., isn't known as a powerhouse sports school. It competes in the Patriot League of Division I, and while it has won championships in field hockey, volleyball and wrestling, its basketball and football teams haven't been as successful.
Still, the Eagles have produced 11 players who were drafted into the NBA, including two whom the Los Angeles Lakers selected. One of them became a productive player for the Lakers, although he was memorable for a not-so-good reason.
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Here is a look at both American University players who were drafted by the Purple and Gold.
Wil Jones -- guard
Despite standing just 5-foot-11, Jones was a star for the Eagles, leading them to three straight Mason-Dixon and Eastern Regional championships. He took them to the NCAA Division II tournament in 1958, 1959 and 1960, and in each of those years, they made it to the Elite Eight.
Jones was taken by the Lakers in the 12th round of the 1960 NBA Draft. However, he never played in the league, and he instead became a longtime college coach.
Kermit Washington -- forward
Washington, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward, averaged 20.1 points and 20.2 rebounds a game in three years with the Eagles' varsity squad. The Lakers took him with the No. 5 pick in the 1973 draft, and by his fourth pro season, he developed into a prototypical old-school "enforcer" power forward.
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But early in the 1977-78 season, during a fight in a game against the Houston Rockets , Washington punched Rockets star guard Rudy Tomjanovich in the face and nearly killed Tomjanovich. The fallout was ugly, and the Lakers traded Washington shortly afterward. He made the All-Star team in 1980 with the Portland Trail Blazers and had career averages of 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes a game across 10 pro seasons.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Every American University player drafted by the Lakers
