Clippers select C.J. Wilcox in first round of NBA draft

The Clippers selected shooting guard C.J. Wilcox from the University of Washington with their first-round pick at 28.

Wilcox averaged 14.4 points on 43.3% shooting from the field, 38.9% from three-point range, over his four-year career.

The 6-foot-5 Wilcox was fourth in scoring (18.5) last season in the Pac-12 Conference. He was second in the conference in free-throw shooting, making 86.8%.

The Clippers had been working the phones all the way up to Thursday night’s NBA draft looking to trade their draft pick, but they were unable to pull off any deal.

Wilcox, 23, was a fifth-year senior at Washington, making him a mature player for the Clippers.

“Everybody was nervous until the pick happened,” Wilcox said about his family during a conference call with reporters. “We got the call a couple of minutes before [the NBA made the announcement on TV] and we started celebrating before my name was even called.

“It was a surreal moment. But everybody is excited and I’m ready to get started.”