| Delaware State’s Tahj Tate entered the NBA Draft after his junior season. |
Every year, a college basketball player or five puts his name into the NBA Draft that just makes folks scratch their head. Delaware State’s Tahj Tate was definitely one of those players. The 6’4 shooting guard was a solid player for the Hornets, averaging 12.6 points and earning Second Team All-MEAC honors. His leaping ability was known to excite fans and his personality was rumored to clash with head coach Greg Jackson.
But when he announced his decision to leave Delaware State, it sent shockwaves through MEAC circles. Tate is a nice player, but until Norfolk State’s Kyle O’Quinn was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic in 2012, no HBCU basketball player had been selected in an NBA Draft since Shaw’s Flip Murray in 2002. And O’Quinn was a big man with MEAC Player of The Year honors who helped pull off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA History.
How was Tate, a 6’4 swingman who wasn’t even voted one of the top-five players in the conference, going to sneak into the second round?
Well, Dime Magazine seems to think Tate has NBA potential.
5 Second-Round NBA Draft Prospects That You Need To Know About bit.ly/113cEv6
– Dime Magazine (@DimeMag) June 11, 2013
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Tahj Tate: 6-4, 190 lbs — Junior, Delaware State
Small-school prospect, big-time scorer. Tate is not going to be on the radar of a lot of fans because of where he played, but he is a talented scorer with good size that could be a steal late or as an undrafted free agent.
Well maybe, just maybe, Tate knows something we don’t know. There’s still a few weeks remaining in the draft process, and anything can happen. Who knows, Tate just might show the know-it-alls they don’t know so much.