After being the topic of debate for weeks, Jamaal Tinsley answered all questions about his draft status on Wednesday when he was selected with the 27th pick in the 2001 NBA Draft.

The Vancouver Grizzlies originally held the rights to the 27th pick in the draft, but as result of a trade made earlier in the night, the Atlanta Hawks retained the pick.

Tinsley’s night wasn’t over as the Hawks traded the draft rights to Tinsley to the Indiana Pacers for a future first-round pick.

The former ISU point guard starred at Iowa State, compiling a 57-11 record in two seasons with the Cyclones.

Tinsley led Iowa State in scoring (14.3 ppg), assists (187), steals (79) and blocks (19) while earning team MVP honors.

Assistant men’s basketball coach, Randy Brown, has had many opportunities to see Tinsley play in both practice and games and he said that Vancouver is getting a great player.

“He’s got an unbelievable feel for the game,” Brown said.

“He’s terrific in transition and he’s got what it takes to make it on any NBA team.”

Tinsley, picked by many analysts to go as high as the tenth pick in the draft, was expected to go somewhere in the first round. With 28 picks comprising round one, he just made the first round.

Brown said that Tinsley going towards the end of the first round wasn’t a result of something he did or didn’t do, but rather, what was going on around him.

“It’s always such an honor to be selected in the first round,” Brown said.

“I’m just really happy for him and I wish him the best. I don’t think it was so much his stock that dropped. There was just an abundance of guys being drafted that are over 6’9.”

Brown said that another thing that contributed to Tinsley’s being drafted 27th was the inclusion of so many players being drafted out of high school.

A total of four players coming out of high school were taken in the top 10.

“Everytime you add young, tall guys like that, it moves the guards down,” Brown said.

“As far as I’m concerned, he [Tinsley] was the second guard taken in the draft behind [Joseph] Forte, and Forte doesn’t really play the point. Jamaal won the race for the point guards.”

With former ISU men’s basketball player, Marcus Fizer, being selected by the Chicago Bulls in last year’s draft and Tinsley being selected this year, Brown said it creates opportunity and more exposure for Iowa State.

“It’s tremendous,” Brown said.

“Invaluable really, both for our basketball program and for the university.”