In his first season as a head coach in college, Luke Loucks has his first NBA Draft Pick, and it lands in familiar territory.
With the 54th overall pick, the Golden State Warriors selected Florida State wing Lajae Jones, who averaged 12.7 PPG and 5.7 RPG. He tied the program record for three-pointers made in a game after making 10 against Georgia Southern in November.
Luke Loucks spent time with the Golden State Warriors as he was climbing the coaching ladder, so he still has plenty of connections in the Bay Area. The Warriors have needed some bigger wings who can shoot, and that's exactly what Jones is. While he shot 32.5% from three for the season, he was money down the stretch of the season, averaging 15.5 PPG while shooting 35.7% from deep over the final 14 games of the season.
Jones challenged himself to be better on the glass in that time, and he came down with some important rebounds. For a Warriors team constantly searching for more size, Jones should fit right in. He started his career at Tarleton State, went to Barton Community College before transferring to St. Bonaventure, finishing his career close to home at FSU. The Jacksonville, Florida, native will now head across the country.
When Luke Loucks accepted the job at his alma mater, one of his selling points was going to be able to get people to the NBA. He was in those rooms, working out draft prospects, so he knows what teams look for and what prospects need to do to succeed. He knew he could get people to the NBA.
For Loucks to get someone to the NBA in his first season as a coach is tremendous. It took Leonard Hamilton until his third season in Tallahassee to have someone drafted (Von Wafer).
While he may not be drafted, Robert McCray V should latch on with a two-way contract soon after the NBA Draft is over. This makes an immediate selling point moving forward, and they already had a successful transfer portal cycle using the NBA as a selling point. With Jones getting drafted, recruits and transfers can start to see the vision that Loucks is building in Tallahassee.
Florida State is in the mix for a lot of big recruits in 2027 and 2028. This isn't a first-round pick, but Loucks will have someone drafted in the first round before too long.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/fsu as FSU's Luke Loucks Has First NBA Draft Pick, Lajae Jones Selected by Warriors .
