trey murphy III

Jim Eichenhofer

To gain more insight into one of the newest members of the New Orleans Pelicans – No. 17 overall NBA draft pick Trey Murphy III, a forward from the University of Virginia – we caught up with Jeff White, a writer for the school’s VirginiaSports.com. White, who writes extensively about Cavaliers sports, including basketball, provided Pelicans.com with additional background about Murphy’s career and productive season in Charlottesville.

The 21-year-old Murphy spent the first two seasons of his NCAA career at Rice, before transferring to Virginia and becoming an important contributor for the Cavaliers in 2020-21:

Pelicans.com: Many draft experts did not have Murphy on their 2021 draft radar at the start of last season and he was not fully committed to staying in the NBA draft until roughly a month before it occurred. How did he go from fairly unnoticed to a first-round lock so rapidly?

White: My sense is that Murphy started off the radar of most NBA teams for a couple of reasons. He was a promising talent but far from a finished product at Rice, and when he arrived at Virginia he was expected to have to sit out the 2020-21 season. The NCAA didn’t rule him eligible until a few days before the season started, and he didn’t dominate in most games. He was a talented complementary player. But when NBA scouts started looking closely, they saw a player with great length, good athleticism and a fantastic shooting touch. Plus, given Tony Bennett’s reputation for teaching and coaching defense, NBA teams no doubt assumed Trey would leave Charlottesville with a solid foundation in that area.

Pelicans.com: How surprised were Virginia fans and people who follow the team that his stock rose so much in the span of a few months?

White: I can’t speak for everyone, but I follow the NBA closely and was amazed to see how his stock seemed to improve every time another mock draft was released. I joked to a friend this week that if the draft were in late August, Trey might have been a top-10 pick.

Pelicans.com: A lot of the draft analysis on Murphy praised his versatility, particularly on defense. How was Virginia able to use him in different roles last season and capitalize on his range of skills?

White: That’s probably a better question for a coach, but Trey, who admittedly was not a defensive stopper at Rice, improved steadily at that end of the court as he grew more comfortable in Virginia’s Pack Line defense, whose principles differ from those of many defenses. With his length and quickness, Trey can guard multiple positions, which is a prized quality in today’s game.

Pelicans.com: What are the most underrated aspects of Murphy’s game?

White: Not sure if this qualifies as an underrated aspect, but he’s an unselfish player with a high basketball IQ. His shooting can sometimes overshadow other parts of his game.

Pelicans.com: What areas do you think he has the most room to make strides, or aspects of his game he may need to improve or adjust as he transitions to NBA competition?

White: Shot creation. Opponents will be well aware of his shooting touch, and Trey will need to show he can put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. Of his field-goal attempts in 2020-21, 63 percent were from beyond the 3-point arc.

Pelicans.com: In interviews he comes across as very mature and intelligent. What were his interactions like with reporters and others during his time at Virginia?

White: He’s an extremely bright and well-spoken young man. Virtually all interviews were on Zoom in 2020-21, and that made it tough to get to know players well, but Trey was unfailingly polite and thoughtful, and he didn’t take himself too seriously.

Pelicans.com: Virginia has produced success stories in the NBA in recent years involving players who were not lottery picks but are having outstanding careers, such as Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris. Is there something about the preparation at Virginia or the types of players who are recruited there that may lead to them being successful and dependable pros?

White: Tony Bennett’s system is a demanding one, especially when it comes to defense, and there’s a tremendous emphasis on fundamentals. I think players typically come out of Virginia with an understanding of how much work is required to succeed in the game. Trey would have benefited from more time with Coach Bennett, but it’s hard to fault a player for leaving when he’s picked in the top 20.

Pelicans.com: What’s one thing even diehard Virginia basketball fans might not know about Murphy?

White: I’m guessing most fans are familiar with Trey’s transformation physically. He grew from 5-8 as a high school freshman to 6-0 to 6-3 to 6-5 to 6-7 and, now, 6-9. I’m not sure everyone knows that Trey’s mom is a North Carolina alumna and that Trey, who was born and raised in Durham, near the Duke campus, grew up rooting for the Tar Heels. His father played basketball at East Carolina.

trey-murphy-qa-with-jeff-white

Trey Murphy Q&A with Jeff White

We’ve somehow reached the point in NBA draft conversation where any prospect who spends more than a couple years in college draws confused looks and skepticism. A point where – as New Orleans first-round pick Trey Murphy put it Friday – even a player who’s only 21 years of age is deemed “old.”

“People label me as an ‘old guy’ to an extent, but I just turned 21,” said Murphy, who was born June 18, 2000. “I feel like I have a lot of career ahead of me.”

New Orleans bucked one of the biggest NBA draft trends Thursday night by adding two college players with a combined seven seasons of NCAA experience. Murphy played a total of three years at Rice and Virginia, while second-round pick and No. 35 overall selection Herbert Jones completed a four-year career at Alabama. The 22-year-old Jones was one of only seven college seniors chosen among the league’s 60 draft picks Thursday, including just two first-rounders (Chris Duarte, Corey Kispert).

While some around basketball may view a lengthy college career as a negative during draft evaluations, Murphy noted that playing so many NCAA games (84) and minutes (over 2,200) greatly helped him improve as a player.

“It benefited me a ton,” the 6-foot-9 forward said. “Just so many game experiences you learn and little things about the game you learn. That just takes time. It is super invaluable and something that I feel like I have an edge over a lot of the younger guys.”

Meanwhile, Jones developed from a part-time starter as an Alabama freshman who averaged 4.2 points per game into the SEC Player of the Year as a senior (he also earned the league’s honor for Defensive Player of the Year). His college coach, Nate Oats, noted during a Friday press conference that it was frustrating to see many far less accomplished players at the college level get picked before Jones, who spearheaded Alabama to a 26-7 record last season. The Crimson Tide were the only high-major team to win their conference regular season and tournament championships, partly due to Jones’ all-around excellence.

“I saw a quote from Trajan Langdon that (the Pelicans) were ecstatic he was available at 35,” Oats said of Jones being selected early in Round 2. “I would’ve been too, because a bunch of guys drafted 10 or 15 picks ahead of (Jones), he’s a better player than them and will contribute more to winning.”

That will be a primary goal for both Murphy and Jones as they join New Orleans, finding ways to complement a young core that features recent All-Star forwards Brandon Ingram, 23, and Zion Williamson, 21.

“Speaking basketball-wise, you’ve got guys like Zion and Brandon Ingram; they’re going to attract one and a half (defenders),” said Murphy, a career 40 percent three-point shooter in college. “So when I’m able to space the floor and give those guys even more room to operate, if my man goes to help, it’s going to be a knockdown three.”

“It’s going to be super fun,” Jones said, when asked specifically about Williamson. “I’ve never seen him play in person so I’m super excited, to see how he plays, how he moves, communicates with guys.”

Murphy and Jones also have in common a defense-first mentality, something Langdon stressed would be a priority throughout the offseason for New Orleans.

“Going to Virginia, you have to play defense,” Murphy said, alluding to his decision to transfer to the ACC school. “I took a lot of pride being there. I became a much better defender and now I enjoy playing defense a lot. I know that’s something that will keep me on the floor.”

“I started playing under my dad (as a coach),” Jones said. “He told me, ‘Go play defense and get the ball to whoever needed to score.’ I knew that was going to be my way onto the court to find minutes. I tried to hone in on those skills and be the best defender I can be.”

Neither player put up big scoring numbers in college, with Murphy third on Virginia in points per game last season, while Jones was fourth for Alabama. Yet both made other major contributions, including a few intangible ones, for two of the NCAA’s most successful programs in recent years.

“(We want) highly competitive guys who are team-first,” Langdon said of a trait the Pelicans are pursuing. “I think we got that with these two guys.”

pelicans-defy-recent-draft-trend-add-pair-of-players-with-vast-college-experience

Pelicans defy recent draft trend, add pair of players with vast college experience

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