Timberwolves pick Hummel

NEWARK, NJ (WLFI) - The Minnesota Timberwolves selected former Purdue basketball star Robbie Hummel in the second round of the NBA Draft Thursday night in Newark, New Jersey.

Hummel, a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection, was picked by the Timberwolves with the 58th overall pick of the two-round draft.

“It was a surreal feeling, to know that you got drafted by an NBA team and it's hard to explain. It's hard to put into words because there really aren't any words to describe it to be honest. It's a special feeling and it's something that I will remember for the rest of my life,” said Robbie Hummel.

Hummel came back from two severe knee injuries to average 16.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in leading the Boilermakers to the third round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

“I'm just happy I got picked, that's really all I care about at this point. Whether it's 58 or 30th, it wouldn't of mattered. I would still have to make the team any ways so I'm just glad it happened,” said Hummel.

Hummel is the third Boiler to be picked in the two most recent NBA Drafts. JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore were picked in the first round and second round, respectively, of the 2011 NBA Draft.

“Just seeing one of my brothers gets drafted, I know he was about ready to have an anxiety attack just seemed like it was getting down to the wire and he has fought through a lot and he definitely deserves it,” said former Boilermaker and current Boston Celtic JaJuan Johnson.

Hummel led the Boilers in scoring 19 times and rebounds of 26 occasions during the season, posting six double-doubles and nine 20-point performances. He scored a season-high 29 points in Purdue’s defeat of Nebraska at Mackey Arena on Feb. 22, and knocked down game-winning shots against Iona on Nov. 17 and Northwestern on Jan. 28 en route to helping the Boilermakers match the program record with their sixth-straight 20-win season.

“When you talk about Robbie Hummel, you talk about a skilled, hard-working guy who also has all the intangibles it takes to be successful in the NBA,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. “He did a great job of keeping his focus throughout the pre-draft process, and it’s clear that his best basketball is ahead of him. I have no doubt he’ll give everything he has to be a great representative of the Timberwolves, both on the court and off.”

Hummel also guided Purdue to its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament in 2012, leaving a lasting impression with 26 points and nine rebounds against Kansas in his final collegiate game.

Hummel was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2012 for the third time in his career, making him one of just 18 players in league history to earn that distinction. He is also one of just three Purdue players, along with Moore and Paul Hoffman, to garner All-Big Ten honors in each of his four seasons.

He was also recognized as an honorable mention Associated Press All-American for the second time in his career, having also earned the honor in 2010. Along with his 2010 second-team NABC accolade, Hummel claimed a total of three All-America honors in his tenure at Purdue.

On March 30, he became Purdue’s first-ever winner of the prestigious Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in a ceremony at the Final Four in New Orleans.

Hummel finished his career ranked ninth in Purdue history with 1,772 points, tied for fourth with 862 rebounds, fourth with 216 three-point field goals and seventh with 112 blocks. He is the only player in Purdue history to accrue 1,700 points, 850 rebounds, 250 assists, 125 steals and 100 blocks in his career.

During his collegiate tenure, Hummel also helped the United States win a bronze medal in Serbia at the 2009 World University Games.