The Cleveland Cavaliers selected North Carolina State forward J.J. Hickson with the 19th pick of the 2008 NBA Draft.”We’re really excited that J.J. was available for us. It was important for us to get a young big,” Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry said. “J.J. was a guy we had ranked highly all year. He’s athletic and can create in the post and the wing. He can play with his back to the basket, and he’s a very dedicated player that will be a hard worker for us.”
Hickson, 19, earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors and was named Honorable Mention All-Conference after averaging 14.8 points on a conference-best .591 shooting and 8.5 rebounds per game. He led all ACC freshmen in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles (10) and also earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors on three occasions. The 6-foot-9, 242-pound forward set an ACC single-game freshman record with 23 rebounds versus Clemson on Feb. 16. He scored in double figures in 25 of 31 career games, including seven games with 20 or more points.