Mid-Day Rumble (Draft Edition): Big East has big night, Thon Maker selected 10th overall

The Big East had four players selected in Thursday night's draft, the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the world, and international prospects flooded the first round.

A massive winner: The Big East

While the SEC led all conferences in first round picks last night, the Big East was the biggest winner due to their four total draft selections, including two first round picks.

Kris Dunn was a top-five selection and Henry Ellenson was the conference's first one-and-done prospect since Steven Adams in 2013. Add on a Villanova national title, Isaiah Whitehead staying in Brooklyn and Ben Bentil going from Providence to Boston, and the Big East should make a leap on the recruiting trail.

And don't forget about Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu, who earned Summer League invites from the San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards respectively.

Overall, it was an excellent boost for one of the best basketball conferences in the country.

Thon Maker drama

Who in the world would have seen this coming?

On Thursday morning, there were reports that Maker may be a bit older than his listed age of 19-years old. This rumor could have spiraled Maker's stock out of control, but instead, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled the trigger at 10th overall. 10th overall! This is for a guy who didn't play one second of college basketball.

St. John's was recruiting Maker before he opted to go pro. So did the big man actually benefit from hiding himself and not playing college basketball? He didn't compete in the five-on-fives at NBA Combine or the Nike Hoop Summit, and ultimately was selected 18 picks higher than Skal Labissiere, who out-played him at the Hoop Summit a year earlier.

Is it possible for Maker to start a unique trend?

International flavor

A record 26 international players were selected in the 2016 NBA Draft. 14 of them were picked in the first round, including Ben Simmons (Australia) at number one overall, Dragan Bender (Croatia) at number four overall, Buddy Hield (Bahamas) at number six overall, Jamal Murray (Canada) at number seven overall and Jakob Poeltl (Austria) at number nine overall.

Georgios Papagiannis (who St. John's was also recruiting at one point) was selected number 13 overall, and the Philadelphia 76ers picked two straight international products in the 20s, Timothe Luwawu and Furkan Korkmaz.

News/Notes

Shortly before the draft, Giannis Antetokounmpo's brother Kostas committed to Archie Miller and the Dayton Flyers. Florida and St. John's were in the mix for the long athletic four-star forward.

He fits perfectly on a deep roster, where he is capable of developing his frame and jump shot to make an impact in the Atlantic 10 in the future.

This has been the worst kept secret in college basketball for weeks, but Jordan Mathews is officially a member of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Mathews is eligible immediately and has one season of college basketball remaining. He gives the Bulldogs sharp shooting from the perimeter, experience and more depth, adding to what is already a very talented roster.