14ers Take Colorado Native Gill Number One Overall, Add Nine More in 2007
November 1, 2007 - NBA G League (G League)
Colorado 14ers News Release
DENVER, November 1 - The Colorado 14ers selected 10 players in the NBA Development League Draft on Thursday night, including point guard Eddie Gill with the top overall pick. Gill is from Overland High School in Aurora, Colorado, and has five years of NBA experience.
Colorado also added nine more players in the 10 round draft. Forward Kelly Whitney, forward Julian Sensley, guard Brandon Dean, and guard Damien Lolar were added in rounds two through five. The 14ers rounded out their second ever draft class by selecting forward Tyronne Beale, center Marcus Saunders, point guard Lou White, center Chad Bell, and forward Antonio Griffin in rounds six through ten.
"This was a different type of draft since we were always waiting through 27 picks to make two picks," said 14ers Head Coach Joe Wolf. "It was nice to get Eddie Gill, an experienced NBA veteran from Colorado with our first pick."
Gill played for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian League last season after spending the previous five years in the NBA. He was in the New Jersey Nets training camp this pre-season, and has spent time with the Nets, Indiana Pacers, Portland TrailBlazers, and Memphis Grizzlies since entering the league in 2000 out of Weber State. In five NBA seasons Gill averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 assists in 167 games.
Whitney is a 6-8 power forward out of Seton Hall University. The rookie was a Second Team All-Big East performer in his senior season in 2006. He finished his college career as the Pirates 16th all-time leading scorer and the eighth leading rebounder in school history.
Sensley spent last season playing in Spain and Italy after being drafted by the 14ers in the fourth round of the 2006 D-League Draft. He was a First Team All-WAC performer as a senior in 2006 at Hawaii, and is the schools ninth all-time leading scorer.
Dean played with the Arkansas RimRockers in the D-League last season, averaging 10.2 points and 4.7 assists in 46 games.
Lolar is a rookie guard from West Texas A&M who earned MVP Honors in the Lone Star Conference and was selected as an NABC Division II All-American in 2007.
Beale also enters his rookie season in the D-League after averaging 21.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in his senior campaign at Bowie State.
Saunders enters his first pro season after being selected to as one of the 30 winners of the MILLER LITE GO PRO CHALLENGE. The 6-8 post man was invited to the NBA Development League Pre-Draft Camp in Arlington, Tx. this summer to be evaluated by D-League scouts.
White will be reunited with his former head coach after playing for Joe Wolf with the Idaho Stampede. The coach says the 6-5 point guard is "exceptional at pushing the pace and finding his teammates in transition".
Bell is a 6'11" center who returns to the 14ers after playing the final four games of the year with Colorado last season. He also played in 36 games with Arkansas, Sioux Falls, and Idaho in the D-League last year.
Griffin enters his first season in the D-League after playing three games in the USBL as a rookie last season. The 6'5 guard finished his college career at Cal-State Bakersfield averaging 14.7 points per game in 2006.
COLORADO 14ERS 2007 DRAFT
HT. WT. POSITION
1. Eddie Gill 6-0 183 Guard
2. Kelly Whitney 6-8 240 Forward
3. Julian Sensley 6-9 235 Forward
4. Brandon Dean 6-2 200 Guard
5. Damien Lolar 6-4 220 Guard/Forward
6. Tyronne Beale 6-8 220 Forward
7. Marcus Saunders 6-8 220 Forward/Center
8. Lou White 6-5 205 Guard
9. Chad Bell 6-11 280 Center
10. Antonio Griffin 6-5 200 Forward
The 14ers are entering their second season after winning the D-League Western Division Post-Season Championship in 2007. The 14ers 24 game home schedule tips off on the NBA Development League opening night of Friday, November 23 at the Broomfield Event Center against the Anaheim Arsenal at 7:05 p.m.
For more information on the 2007-2008 14ers schedule and team, log on to www.14ershoops.com.
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