UCLA, Pepperdine and Santa Clara all have projected first round picks for this year's NBA Draft but farther down the prospect list, U.C. Santa Barbara senior Miles Norris will enter Thursday's draft as an underdog.
At 23-years-old, Norris spent the past three seasons with the Gauchos after beginning his career at Oregon and San Francisco City College.
With back-to-back Big West Honorable mentions paired with his ability to spread the floor at 6’10 with undeniable athleticism, Norris stands out from an NBA scouting perspective.
During the off-season, he worked out with 10 NBA teams. This past season he helped the Gauchos win the Big West Conference and reach the NCAA Tournament averaging 14 points per game shooting nearly 40-percent from three.
However, Norris will have history stacked against him. The last Gaucho to be drafted was Orlando Johnson in 2012 but should he go undrafted he will join the likes of Alan Williams and Jaquori McLaughlin both who logged NBA minutes and most notably Gabe Vincent who just played major starter minutes in the NBA Finals.
The first round of the NBA Draft takes place Thursday.
