NEWARK, N.J. — NBA finalist Oklahoma City got a surprise when Baylor forward Perry Jones was still available with the 28th pick in the first round of Thursday night’s draft.

The Thunder were glad to take him.

Jones was the first of three Baylor players selected in the NBA draft as both Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller were taken early in the second round. Acy was picked No. 37 overall by Toronto, while Miller was selected with the 38th pick by Denver.

NBA commissioner David Stern greets Baylor's Perry Jones after the sophomore forward was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Bill Kostroun / Associated Press

It marked the first time that three Baylor players were selected in an NBA draft.

The 6-11 Jones was projected to be drafted in the late teens of the first round. But ESPN reported that NBA team doctors were concerned about a meniscus issue in Jones’ knee, which could have led to him slipping to late in the first round.

But Jones was excited that he’s getting a shot to pursue his NBA dream. Dressed in a pinstripe suit, Jones hugged his mother and father, and Baylor coach Scott Drew before walking to the podium at the Prudential Center to shake hands with NBA commissioner David Stern.

“I’m speechless,” Jones told ESPN minutes after he was selected. “My dream is to play in the NBA no matter what number I was picked.”

Jones became only the fifth player in Baylor history to be selected in the first round.

Seattle took Vinnie Johnson with the seventh pick in 1979, while Houston took Terry Teagle with the 16th pick in 1982. The Los Angeles Clippers took Brian Skinner with the 22nd pick in 1998, and Golden State selected Ekpe Udoh with the sixth pick in 2010.

Jones will walk into an enviable situation with the Thunder, which finished 47-19 and won the Western Conference finals before losing to Miami in the NBA championship series.

Oklahoma City features one of the youngest, most talented rosters in the league with players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka.

Many observers projected Jones to be a lottery pick last year if he had gone to the NBA after his freshman year at Baylor. He averaged 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 54.9 percent from the field in 2010-11.

Jones returned for his sophomore year because he felt he needed more seasoning. He also wanted the chance to play for an NCAA tournament team after the Bears failed to make the postseason last year.

Jones helped the Bears to a school-record 30-8 finish while reaching the Elite Eight as he averaged 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds.

After opting to turn pro after his freshman year, the 6-10 Miller was projected by some experts to be drafted late in the first round before Denver took him with the eighth pick of the second round.

Miller averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds and shot 44.7 percent from the field for the Bears.

The 6-7 Acy went higher than some draft experts projected after a senior year in which he averaged 12 points and seven rebounds while shooting 57.7 percent from the field.

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