Tari Eason, who played for UC Bearcats and LSU Tigers, drafted 17th by Houston Rockets

Tari Eason, who played last season for the LSU Tigers after playing his freshman season for the Cincinnati Bearcats, was selected 17th overall Thursday night by the Houston Rockets in the 2022 NBA Draft first round.

Eason declared in March for the draft. ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony projected Eason - a First-Team All-SEC selection - as a lottery pick after reporting that Eason was forgoing his remaining college eligibility by hiring an agent.

Eason averaged 16.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game in 33 games for the Tigers. He scored 18 points in 20 minutes in LSU's NCAA tournament first-round loss to Iowa State.

Eason was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team for the 2020-21 season after averaging 7.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals for the Bearcats.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tari Eason drafted 17th in 2022 NBA Draft by Houston Rockets