Niang and Nader picked in second round of NBA Draft

Georges Niang and Abdel Nader officially have new homes.

Niang, Iowa State’s second all-time leading scorer, was taken by the Indiana Pacers with the 50th pick in the second round of Thursday night’s NBA Draft. Nader was surprisingly taken a few picks later at No. 58 by the Boston Celtics.

They are the 36th and 37th Iowa State players selected in the NBA Draft, and the first since Royce White in 2012.

This is the first time Iowa State has had multiple players selected since 1995 (Loren Meyer and Fred Hoiberg).

Niang was one of the most efficient players in college basketball last season while scoring 20.2 points and grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game. It was uncertain whether or not he would be picked in the draft with many people questioning his athleticism and his lack of a true position.

It had been rumored for quite a while that Pacers president Larry Bird was impressed by Niang. The door is definitely open for Niang to make the roster with quite a few spots up for grabs.

Nader averaged 12.4 points and 5.4 rebounds during his senior season with the Cyclones. He’s agreed to spend his first season in the NBA D-League.

Stay tuned to Cyclone Fanatic for more on this story throughout the weekend.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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