Bucknell University Athletics
Mike Muscala 44th Pick in NBA Draft, Headed to Hawks
6/28/2013 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 27, 2013
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Mike Muscala capped off an historic night for Bucknell and the Patriot League when he was selected 44th overall in the National Basketball Association Draft on Thursday. Muscala was officially picked by the Dallas Mavericks, but his rights were traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Muscala is the third Bucknell men's basketball player to be drafted in the NBA. Al Leslie '81 was taken in the second round (37th overall) by the Indiana Pacers in 1981, and Jaye Andrews '85 was a seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1985.
Muscala also became the third Patriot League player ever drafted, and the second in a matter of a few hours. Earlier in the evening, Lehigh's C.J. McCollum was picked 10th overall by the Portland Trailblazers. Colgate's Adonal Foyle was taken by the Golden State Warriors with the No. 8 pick in 1997.
The Hawks scouted Muscala extensively this season, and general manager Danny Ferry took in a game at Sojka Pavilion late in the season. Atlanta was a playoff team in 2012-13. The Hawks posted a 44-38 record in the regular season and finished as the runner-up to the NBA champion Miami Heat in the Southeast Division. They were the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they fell in six games to the Pacers.
Mike Budenholzer was recently named head coach of the Hawks after previously serving as the top assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs.
The Atlanta-Dallas trade was confirmed just before the final pick in the draft was announced. Muscala, Lucas Nogueira and Jared Cunningham were all sent to Atlanta in exchange for Shane Larkin, who was the 18th overall selection.
A 6-11 center at Bucknell, Muscala will go down as the most decorated player in program history. Last season Muscala became the first men's basketball player to sweep the Patriot League Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. He was a four-time All-Patriot League selection, a two-time PL Player of the Year and two-time PL Tournament MVP. Muscala was selected as one of 30 candidates for the Naismith Player of Year Award, and he was picked as a Lute Olsen All-American by CollegeInsider.com and as an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press.
The recipient of the Christy Mathewson Award as the top athlete in his class at Bucknell, Muscala was also a Capital One Academic All-American and one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. Muscala graduated as Bucknell's all-time leading scorer (2,036 points), and he is the only player in school and league history with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds (1,093).
Muscala was selected to play in the Reese's Division I All-Star Game on Final Four weekend in Atlanta, and he started for the West team and produced 15 points and eight rebounds.
