History was made Thursday night as Weber State All-American Damian Lillard was selected with the sixth pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Lillard becomes the first Wildcat ever drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft and just the third player in Big Sky history drafted in the first round. He is the 15th Wildcat player drafted and the first since 1985.

An estimated crowd of nearly 1,500 fans attended a Damian Lillard Draft Day Celebration at the Junction in downtown Ogden. The party was a joint effort between the Weber State Student Association, Weber State Athletics and the city of Ogden. Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell declared the day Damian Lillard Day in Ogden.

"I couldn't wait for tonight to happen and I'm excited to get to Portland," said Lillard who attended the draft in New Jersey. "I feel blessed to be in this position. I'm honored to have the kind of support from the fans in Ogden. It says a lot about the community and how they support Weber State. I'm honored by it. "

Lillard was the first point guard off the board. Kentucky's Anthony Davis was the first pick by New Orleans. Collegiate teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was second by Charlotte. Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal was taken third by Washington. Cleveland grabbed Dion Waters of Syracuse at No. 4, and Sacramento nabbed Thomas Robinson of Kansas with the No. 5 pick.

Lillard is coming off one of the greatest seasons in Weber State men's basketball history. He was named Big Sky Conference MVP, District Player of the Year and earned Third-Team All-American honors, becoming the first player in Big Sky history named to an All-American team. He led the country in scoring throughout most of the season and finished second at 24.5 points per game. He set WSU single-season records in scoring, three-pointers and free throws made. He ranks second in school history in career scoring and is Weber State's all-time leader in career three-pointers, free throws and free throw percentage.







