(#35) Arizona center Christian Koloko in Friday’s game against Wright State University on March 18.
The Toronto Raptors have drafted Christian Koloko with the 33rd pick in the 2022 NBA draft. This was the third selection in the second round of the draft.
Koloko is the third Wildcat to be drafted during the 2022 NBA Draft along with Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana Pacers) and Dalen Terry (Chicago Bulls). This is the second time in the last three years that three former Arizona players were taken in a single draft.
Even though Koloko wasn’t selected in the first round, he found a good home in Toronto that will allow him to get a ton of playing time early on in his NBA career. Koloko will be a good fit alongside Pascal Siakam in a big lineup for the Raptors. Both players will complement each other well as Siakam provides elite scoring while Koloko will be a very good defensive player early in his career.
RELATED: From three-star recruit to the NBA, Christian Koloko is taking his game to the next level
Koloko averaged 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks on a terrific 63% shooting from the field. He was named the 2021-22 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year while being a first-team All Pac-12 player. He also was a semi-finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the year.
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