MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University guard Javon Small was taken in the second round of this year's NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.

He was the 48th overall choice.

Small enjoyed a breakout season at West Virginia in 2025 that saw him average 18.6 points, 5.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals during his lone year with the Mountaineers.

His season-high 31 points were crucial in WVU's overtime victory over Gonzaga in the Bahamas. He also scored West Virginia's final seven points in a 62-61 upset victory at Kansas – the Mountaineers' first-ever win in Allen Fieldhouse - and he was dominant in a 64-57 victory over second-ranked Iowa State by scoring a game-high 27 points.

"One of the most athletic guards in this entire draft," ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said. "He's a primary ballhandler who can create. He's quick. He's crafty and then defensively, he's really good at the point of attack.

"He had 68 points in clutch time so he's really good and when the lights are on, he shows up," Bilas added.

Small, listed at 6-foot-3 but measuring 6-feet-1 barefoot at this year's NBA Draft Combine, played two years at East Carolina and one at Oklahoma State, where he averaged 15.1 points per game for the Cowboys in 2024.
 

In 97 career college games, the South Bend, Indiana, resident scored 1,380 points, handed out 424 assists and grabbed 374 rebounds.

"(The Grizzlies) are getting a competitor, a hard worker and somebody who is going to bring positive energy every single day. They are just going to get a dog," Small said. 

Draft experts noted his strong performance in agility and shooting drills at this year's NBA Draft Combine held this spring in Chicago, which likely offset some concerns about his lack of height and long-range shooting consistency.

On3's James Fletcher had Small ranked No. 47 overall on his final draft board; ESPN.com NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony had Small pegged at No. 48, while Draft Digest had him rated 50^th.

Yahoo! Sports draft analyst Kevin O'Connor compared Small to Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, writing: "Small is an undersized guard who plays bigger than his body thanks to his excellent athleticism and gritty nature. He's a knockdown shooter off the catch and a solid lead guard, though his lack of size puts a natural cap on his upside."

There were 59 total selections in this year's draft.

The last West Virginia University player picked by an NBA team was guard Deuce McBride, who went 36^th overall in the second round to the New York Knicks in 2021.

Including Small this year, six Mountaineer players have been taken in the draft since 2008 when forward Joe Alexander went No. 8 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Forwards Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks were taken consecutively at No. 42 by the Miami Heat and No. 43 by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round in 2010, and guard Jevon Carter was the 32^nd overall choice by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2018 draft.