5 Things To Know About James Young
BOSTON (CBS) -- With their second of two first-round picks in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, the Boston Celtics selected guard/forward James Young 17th overall pick.
Young was one of five freshman to start for the Kentucky Wildcats last season, and he brings a very solid game to Boston.
Here is all you need to know about James Young:
The Basics
Young was born in Flint, Michigan on August 16, 1995. He's 6-6, 215-pounds, and averaged 14.3 points on 40.7 percent shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists during his only season with Kentucky.
Big Game James
Young, a left-hander, led the Wildcats in their two final four games last season, scoring 20 points in Kentucky's NCAA Championship game loss to UConn. He is probably best known for one play in the NCAA Championship game, posterizing a pair of UConn defenders on an emphatic dunk in the second half:
On the play, Young dunked over DeAndre Daniels (a second-round selection by the Raptors), and freshman Amida Brimah, who averaged 2.3 blocks per game as a freshman.
Lucky Slide For C's?
Young was involved in a minor car accident during his pre-draft workouts, causing him to miss five workouts. That may have dropped his draft stock, as Young was originally seen as a potential lottery pick.
Big Production In High School
As a senior at Rochester High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Young averaged 27.2 points and 16.0 rebounds and was named a McDonald's All-American.
He Started Early
Young started to play basketball at a very young age. His love for the game began when he was two-years old and his grandmother would hold up a toy rim for him to shoot jumpers. He has a very close relationship with his grandmother, Boby Granberry, which you can read about here.
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