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Typically the NBA Draft is not an event that Mountain West fans typically pay attention to, but fans from Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV all have good reasons to tune in Thursday night.
The Mountain West is expected to have four players drafted, three in the first round and a lottery pick in UNLV's Anthony Bennett. The others who are expected to be in the first round are San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin, whose sock is all over the board and then New Mexico's Tony Snell who is seeing his stock explode lately. Finally, there is Colorado State's Colton Iverson who could hear his name called in the second round.
This is the best draft class for the Mountain West since 1999 when three players from the league were taken, and two went in the first round in Shawn Marion (UNLV) and Lee Nailon (TCU). That third player taken was Kenny Thomas (New Mexico) who was taken in the second round.
This 2013 draft class will exceed that year and it will not be even close. The only record that won't occur is the highest draft pick, and that can only be tied since Andrew Bogut (Utah) went No. 1 overall back in 2005. Bennett will be the third top-10 draft pick in Mountain West history, Marion was the other who went No. 9 back in 1999.
Here are the ways to watch the 2013 NBA Draft.
Date: June 27, 2013
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Venue: Barclays Center
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN3 and Watch ESPN app