NEW YORK, N.Y. -- As it turns out, Bradley's final game in the 2006 NCAA Tournament was not Patrick O'Bryant's final game at the Oakland Arena.  The Golden State Warriors selected Bradley's 7-foot sophomore center with the ninth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

A native of Blaine, Minn., O'Bryant becomes Bradley's 36th all-time NBA Draft selection and he is the sixth Brave to be taken in the first round.  He is the third consecutive Brave to be taken in the first round, following Anthony Parker (21st overall) in 1997 and Hersey Hawkins (6) in 1988.  O'Bryant also is the third Bradley player to be selected by Golden State, joining Mike Williams (3rd round, 51st overall) in 1986 and Bobby Humbles (9th, 179).  Williams was the last Bradley center selected in the draft.

The 2006 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, O'Bryant's stock sky-rocketed after helping the Braves (22-11) to the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Highlighted by his career-best 28-point performance in Bradley's second round upset of Pittsburgh (72-66), O'Bryant averaged 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds during the three NCAA Tournament games.  For the season, O'Bryant averaged 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocked shots per contest.   Although he missed the season's first eight games, O'Bryant's 72 blocked shots were good for third on Bradley's single-season rejection list and his 147 career blocks in just two seasons made for the 10th-best career total in Valley history.

In his one appearance at Oakland Arena, O'Bryant finished with eight points, 14 rebounds and a blocked shot March 23 versus the region's top seed, Memphis.

In addition to O'Bryant, Parker and Hawkins, Bradley's previous first-round NBA Draft picks were David Thirdkill (Phoenix) in 1982, Roger Phegley (Washington) in 1978 and Gene “Squeaky” Melchiorre (Baltimore) in 1951.  Melchiorre was the No. 1 overall selection in the 1951 draft.