Vonteego Cummings Selected in NBA Draft
7/1/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WASHINGTON - Former University of Pittsburgh standout Vonteego Cummings was selected by the Indiana Pacers as the 26th pick in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. However, Cummings was later involved in trade, sending him to the Golden State in exchange for the Warriors' first-round selection Jeff Foster.
One of 30 listed as a 1999 Wooden Award National Player of the Year candidate, Cummings is the only Panther to rank among Pittsburgh's top 10 in scoring (1,581 ninth) and top five in steals (235 second) and assists (458 fourth). The Thomson, Ga., native was a three-time All-Big East selection and named to the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District team. Cummings was the only player to rank among the Big East's top 10 in scoring, steals and assists each of the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned Big East Co-Player of the Week honors after leading the Panthers to upset wins over Xavier and Kentucky and the school's first national ranking since 1993.
Cummings averaged 16.1 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals in his senior season. For his career, the 6-4 guard averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals.
Cummings is the fourth Panther in the last 10 years to be drafted in first round. Charles Smith (Philadelphia; later traded to the L.A. Clippers) was the third pick in the 1988 draft, Jerome Lane (Denver) joined Smith in the first round in 1988 as the 23rd pick and Eric Mobley (Milwaukee) was the 18th pick in the 1994 draft.
Cummings was one of four players from the Big East to be drafted in the first round in 1999. In the conference's 20-year history, it has seen 54 players drafted in the first round, including at least one each season.
PITTSBURGH DRAFT HISTORY
Name Year Round (pick) Team
Billy Knight 1974 1st (6th) Pacers (ABA)
1974 2nd (21st) Lakers
Mickey Martin 1974 4th (69th) Pistons
Mel Bennett 1975 1st Squires (ABA)
Kirk Bruce 1975 4th Stars (ABA)
Keith Starr 1976 4th (56th) Bulls
Larry Harris 1978 4th (73rd) Braves
Terry Knight 1979 6th (125th) Spurs
Sammie Ellis 1980 4th (73rd) Nuggets
Carlton Neverson 1981 3rd (56th) Warriors
Sam Clancy 1981 3rd (62nd) Suns
Trent Johnson 1983 8th (83rd) Celtics
Clyde Vaughan 1984 6th (117th) Pacers
Charles Smith 1988 1st (3rd) 76ers
Jerome Lane 1988 1st (23rd) Nuggets
Darren Morrningstar 1992 2nd (47th) Celtics
Eric Mobley 1994 1st (18th) Bucks
Mark Blount 1996 2nd (55th) Supersonics
Vonteego Cummings 1999 1st (26th) Pacers
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