City teen Sochan is drafted by former NBA champs San Antonio Spurs

Jeremy Sochan will line-up for the San Antonio Spurs after being selected ninth in the NBA Draft last night.

The 19-year-old, who grew up in Milton Keynes, had a stand-out season for his college Baylor where he was named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, All-Big 12 honourable mention and Big 12 All-Freshman team.

Declaring for the draft last month, Sochan watched on as eight other college players were picked before the Spurs, who finished last season with a 34-48 record, called his name out on stage.

“I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a kid,” he said. “It’s really exciting to be a part of this elite group of players.

“This is one of the best teams ever, they’ve won so many championships, they’ve got so many great ex-players, and we’ve got some great current players as well. I think I’ll fit in well, and I cannot wait to start.

“I’m going to bring my energy, on and off the court. I’ll have fun but I’ll work hard and play hard.”

Sochan is the latest in a strong line of foreign players to have donned the Spurs jersey over the years, with the likes of Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker both helping the team to four titles between 2003 and 2014.

The city teen added: “It’s a great to be a part of that circle, players who are winners. I hope I can bring that to the table too.”