Oakland's Felder Taken 54th Overall in NBA Draft

NEW YORK - Oakland University's Kay Felder was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 54th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. According to reports, Felder’s draft rights will be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as the point guard joins the defending NBA champions.

The lefty point guard is the sixth player drafted from the Horizon League since 2010. Green Bay’s Alec Brown was taken 50th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2014 NBA Draft, joining Gordon Hayward (Utah, No. 9 overall, 2010), Norris Cole (Miami via Chicago, No. 28 overall, 2011), Shelvin Mack (Washington, No. 34 overall, 2011), and Ray McCallum (Sacramento, No. 36 overall, 2013).

Felder was the first Horizon League men’s basketball student-athlete to declare early for the draft since Detroit’s Ray McCallum did so prior to the 2013 NBA Draft.

Felder led the NCAA in assists per game with 9.2 and ranked fourth in scoring at 24.2. He was a top-15 finalist for the John R. Wooden award, a top-10 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and the Horizon League Player of the Year. Felder was named an AP All-American third team selection, and also a third team All-America honoree by the NABC and the Sporting News. Felder scored 20 points in all but five games this season and recorded 10 or more assists on 19 occasions. He became just the fifth player in the last 20 years to average over 23 points and six assists in a single season.

Felder set a career-high with 38 points along with nine assists and six rebounds at Washington and then followed that performance with 37 points and nine assists versus No. 1 Michigan State. In four games against Power-5 Conference opponents this season, including two ranked inside the top-5, he averaged 32.0 points, 6.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Felder broke the Horizon League's career assists mark after totaling over 300 dimes this season and currently sits at 788 for his career.

The point guard joins Keith Benson (48th overall, 2011 NBA Draft) as the only players in Oakland program history to be taken in the draft.