(July 28, 2005) -- The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they selected Connecticut centre Charlie Villanueva with the seventh pick and Oklahoma State forward Joey Graham with the 16th pick in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Charlie Villanueva brings rebounding and more interior presence to Toronto. (NBAE/Getty Images)

“Charlie is a very versatile big man, he can do a lot of things for our basketball team. He can play the 4-spot and the 5-spot, he runs the floor very well, he can go outside and shoot the ball and he can put it on the floor and take it to the hole,” said Rob Babcock, general manager of the Raptors. “He’s a good rebounder and an improving player. He’s only 20 years old.”

Villanueva was an early entry candidate for the 2005 NBA Draft having spent two seasons at Connecticut. He was an early entry candidate for the 2003 NBA Draft before withdrawing his name. He appeared in 62 games with Connecticut, starting 35, including all 31 games last season.

Villanueva, 6-foot-11, 240 pounds, was second-team All-Big East last season after averaging 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds. He upped his averages in conference play to 14.9 points and a Big East-best 9.0 rebounds an outing. He led his team in scoring and had a team-high 12 double-doubles. He was named Big East Player of the Week on February 21 after totaling 21 points and 11 rebounds at Rutgers and 22 points and 10 rebounds against Providence. He pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds against Oklahoma. In NCAA Tournament play, Villanueva averaged 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in two contests.

As a freshman, Villanueva averaged 8.9 points with 5.3 rebounds on his way to Big East All-Rookie Team selection. He was declared eligible by the NCAA on December 5, 2003 after being withheld from competition through the exhibition season and six regular-season games while UConn and the NCAA reviewed his eligibility status. Villanueva became a key reserve as UConn won the National Championship. He had a season-high 25 points against Rice.

“Joey Graham gives us toughness, he gives us defence and he gives 100 per cent effort. He plays the 3 position and can play some at the 4, and he can hit open jump shots,” said Babcock.

Graham split his four-year collegiate career between Oklahoma State and Central Florida. He averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in two seasons at OSU and 10.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in two campaigns at Central Florida.

Graham, 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, was first-team All-Big 12 last season after averaging career bests of 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in 33 games. He shot .529 from the field and led the conference in free throw percentage at .887. He scored 20 or more points 14 times, including a season-high 27 versus Missouri. He led OSU with 25 points versus Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament en route to capturing MVP honours.

As a junior, Graham averaged 12.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 35 contests. He scored 20 or more points five times, including a career-best 36-point effort versus Nebraska. He had 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting versus Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. He helped led the Cowboys to the Final Four where he had 17 points and 10 rebounds in a semifinal defeat to Georgia Tech.

Graham averaged 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in his sophomore season at Central Florida. He scored 20 or more points six times, with a season-high 22 at Mercer. He had a season-best 10 boards versus Florida Atlantic.

In his freshman campaign, Graham averaged 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds as a part-time starter. He tallied a season-high 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting versus Middle Tennessee State. He had 13 points and six rebounds in his collegiate debut versus Georgetown.

Graham earned his bachelor’s degree in aviation management and has his pilot’s license. His twin brother, Stephen, was a teammate at both Central Florida and Oklahoma State.