Ramon Sessions has gone from being nearly undrafted to starting at point guard for the Bucks. (Getty)

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April 15, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- The last ten months have been an emotional roller coaster for Bucks rookie Ramon Sessions. The former Nevada star and South Carolina native – who just turned 22 last Friday – has gone from being nearly undrafted last summer to filling in for an injured Mo Williams as Milwaukee’s starting point guard in the closing games of the 2007-08 season. And there have been many ups and downs in between.

Sessions decided to enter the 2007 NBA Draft after his junior season at Nevada, a year in which he averaged 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists for a Wolfpack team that finished 29-5 and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. But when draft day came, Sessions had to hear 55 other names called before he heard his own.

“People were telling me I was going to go before then, but things happen for a reason,” Sessions said. “Just sitting there, I was nervous, thinking that maybe I should have stayed (in school) for another year.”

Much to Sessions’ relief, the Bucks were quick to grab him with the 56th pick. Larry Harris and his team had the point guard ranked in the early 30s and they were pleasantly surprised to see him still sitting on the draft board when their pick came up. The decision to draft him was a unanimous one. And Sessions could breathe easy.

“Once my name was called, I was okay because I knew I could play out here,” he said.

But even though the Bucks drafted Sessions, there was no guaranteed contract. He had to prove himself to Milwaukee in July as a member of the team’s Las Vegas Summer League squad. In four games, he averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 assists.

“I didn’t really play much,” Sessions remembered. “Some games I didn’t play at all and some games I played a little bit. But I felt like, for the most part, when I was out there playing that I made a statement that (I had) the potential to play in the NBA.”

Sessions was right. The Bucks signed their second round pick on September 11 to a non-guaranteed deal. He had a roster spot – for the time being.

When the 2007-08 NBA season rolled around, the Bucks wasted no time assigning Sessions to their NBA Development League affiliate. He joined the Tulsa 66ers on November 8 and made the most of the opportunity from the get-go. He posted 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in Tulsa’s season-opening win over Fort Wayne on Friday and followed it up with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists the next night vs. Sioux Falls. The fast start earned him D-League Player of the Week honors, an award he would win again in late January.

Sessions’ stellar play continued through November, December and into January. The Bucks thought highly enough of him to keep him on their roster. When January 1 came and went, Sessions’ contract was guaranteed for the rest of the season.

In all, he appeared in 24 games (17 starts) with the 66ers and averaged a team-high 21.1 points, a team-high 7.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds. His hard work and success in the D-League finally paid off on February 1 when the Bucks called him back to their roster.

But the emotional high that came with such an achievement was extremely short lived. In his first practice with the Bucks – the same day he was brought up – Sessions broke his left hand and was told he would miss about six weeks of action.

“It was tough. I felt like crying, to be honest. It was tough to go down and get in a great rhythm (in the D-League) and then come back up here, have a good practice that first day and think I was going to be ready to play in the NBA, then find out right before the game that I broke my hand. It was hard. But I just worked hard to get back.”

Sessions recovered faster than anticipated and resumed basketball activity just a couple of weeks later. He appeared in his first NBA game on March 9, playing just over four minutes in a home loss to the 76ers.

After a few more brief appearances and a couple of DNP-CDs, Sessions had his first look at major minutes on April 1. He played 34 minutes in a home win over the Knicks and logged 4 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. He followed that up with 8 points and 8 assists the next night in Washington, D.C., including a game-winning shot at the buzzer. And after an 11-point, 7-assist game against the Pacers, Sessions was inserted into the starting line-up to replace an ailing Mo Williams.

He has not disappointed. In 6 games as a starter, Sessions is averaging 11.2 points, 13 assists and 5.3 rebounds. His assist-to-turnover ratio is extremely healthy at 3.6:1 and he’s averaging just under 41 minutes per game. His most memorable night came on Monday when he passed for a single-game franchise record 24 assists (breaking Guy Rodgers’ mark of 21 set in 1968) and logged the only 20-point/20-assist game in team history.

“I knew I had ten (assists) in the first quarter and I think I ended the half with eleven. So I knew I could maybe get 15. But I didn’t think I could get 24. But my teammates helped me out a lot and hit their shots.”

Sessions is quick to attribute part of his recent success to his time in the D-League.

“It helped me out a lot. You know, going down there and getting thirty minutes plus, running a ball club. It’s not the NBA, but it’s great competition. Just going down there and getting confidence and knowing that I can play in the NBA system and run a team. It was a great opportunity for me and it helped me out tremendously.

“When I first got down there, I knew it was going to be tough. But I knew in my mind I had to work hard and my time would come. It’s not the NBA, but it’s a great stepping stone for rookies like myself.”

Sessions and the Bucks will take the court for the final time tomorrow night in Minnesota. And after what’s been a disappointing season for the Bucks and their fans, Sessions’ emergence offers hope and excitement for next season.