***NOTE: No Big 12 player has gone 41st, 40th or 39th overall***
Best Big 12 Player Drafted #38: Eduardo Nájera, Oklahoma Sooners, by the Houston Rockets in 2000.
Eddie may have been the dirtiest, nastiest SOB to ever play in the Big 12. One of those guys who you loved if he was with you and loathed if he was against you. Only the second Mexican born player to grace the NBA hardwood, Najera is not only a guy you'd want on your team, but a guy you'd want in your community.
Other Notable Big 12 Players Drafted 38th: Royal Ivey, Texas Longhorns, by the Atlanta Hawks in 2004.
Best Non-Big 12 Player Drafted 38th: Steve Blake, Maryland Terrapins, by the Washington Wizards in 2003.
I was skiing in Breckenridge the day Maryland played in the 2002 Final Four. We got off the slopes a touch early to belly up at a bar and catch the games. As it turned out, the rabid Terps fan next to us turned out to be Blake's sister. Why he didn't get her tickets to the game, though, I never found out.
In preparation for the 2011 NBA Draft, each day until June 23 we'll count down the best Big 12 player drafted with each pick. This list only takes into account players who played in the Big 12, so it starts with the 1997 draft. In total 70 Big 12 alumni have been selected, filling 43 of the 60 possible slots.
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