June 25, 2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Former UK men’s basketball All-American Jodie Meeks was selected in the second round (41st overall) of Thursday night’s NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Meeks led the SEC and ranked eighth in the country in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game. He set the school record for points in a game (54 at Tennessee) and three-pointers in a season (117), while also shooting an SEC best 90.2 percent from the free throw line. Starting all 36 games last season, Meeks led the SEC in two other offensive categories including three-point field goal percentage (40.6) and three-point field goals per game (3.25).

“I’m happy for Jodie,” said UK head coach John Calipari. “Milwaukee is a great city and organization. (Milwaukee Director of Player Personnel) Dave Babcock had been in touch with me during the week, so I knew how much they liked him. We wish him well.”

A Second-Team All-American, Meeks had the top three scoring games nationally in regulation (54, 46, 45 points). He became the first player in SEC history to win SEC Player of the Week honors four times in a single-season.

He became the first Wildcat to be drafted by the Bucks since Keith Bogans was picked in the second round (43rd overall) in the 2003 draft.

Meeks is also the 92nd Wildcat to be drafted into the NBA and the sixth former UK player to be drafted since 2000. His is also the first Wildcat underclassmen to be selected in the draft since Rajon Rondo in 2006.