Marcus Paige and Two Iowa State Cyclones Taken In NBA Draft

Former Linn-Mar prep Marcus Paige and two Cyclones were taken within eight picks of each other in the NBA draft.

Marcus Paige, who starred in Marion before taking his game to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken by the Brooklyn Nets. The pick was made for the Utah Jazz. Long story short, that means Marcus is headed west and not east of his home state. He was chosen with the 55th overall pick.

Paige averaged double figures in scoring each of his last three seasons at North Carolina and anyone who watched him play in this year's NCAA Tournament, or throughout his high school career in Marion, knows he's a special talent with an incredible will to win. Utah could use the help. The Jazz finished 40-42 this season and in third place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division.

Five picks earlier, former Iowa State Cyclone Georges Niang was chosen by the Indiana Pacers.

The second leading scorer in Iowa State men's basketball history with 2,228 points, Niang was taken in the second round with the 50th overall pick.

During his Iowa State career, Niang became only the fourth Division I player since the 1994-95 season to score at least 2,000 points, grab 700 rebounds, and record 400 assists. He was also a consensus All-American and took home the award given to the nation's top power forward, the Karl Malone Award.

Niang won 98 games during his Iowa State career, more than any other player in the school's history. The Pacers finished the 2015-16 season with a 45-37 record, 12 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference's Central Division.

Niang's teammate at Iowa State, Abdel Nader, was chosen by the Boston Celtics in the second round with the 58th overall pick.

This marks the seventh time Iowa State has had multiple players taken in a single NBA draft.

Nader, who averaged 12.9 points per game during his senior season, became the 37th former Cyclone drafted in the NBA. His selection came as a surprise to many.

Former Iowa Hawkeye and Cedar Rapids Jefferson prep Jarrod Uthoff was not selected.

[via Iowa State Sports Information and Sports Reference]