Christian Braun Selected by Denver in 2022 NBA Draft
Christian Braun was taken No. 21 overall by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
Braun, a 6-foot-7 guard who played for Kansas for three years, was the second Jayhawk off the board in the draft.
Braun averaged 14.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game last season, all of which were career-highs. Braun was considered one of the best rebounding and defensive guards in the Big 12 last season.
Braun, a junior, left Kansas early to enter the NBA Draft, but kept his eligibility open during the draft process in case he wanted to return to Kansas for a fourth year. But, right before the deadline, Braun elected to remain in the draft.
Braun started two of his three seasons for the Jayhawks and helped Kansas win the national championship in April. In the Jayhawks’ semifinal win over Villanova, he became the 65th player to score at least 1,000 point for his career. He was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Region Team, the All-Big 12 Tournament team and All-Big 12 Second Team honors.
In 2020-21, his sophomore season, Braun emerged as a full-time starter and earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors after he made 52 3-point field goals and averaged 9.7 points.
As a freshman in 2019-20, Braun averaged 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game coming off the bench in Big 12 play and earned All-Big 12 Freshman team honors. He scored 10 or more points in five games and led Kansas in steals three times.
Matthew Postins can be found on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
