AP INTERACTIVE: 2010 NBA Draft
SALT LAKE CITY -- Forrest Fackrell was randomly chosen. Gordon Hayward wasn't.
But for a minute or so, the draft night crowd at EnergySolutions Arena appeared to think otherwise.
For fun, the Jazz asked Fackrell, a season ticket holder, to announce their first-round draft pick, the No. 9 overall selection in Thursday's NBA draft.
When he said Hayward's name, it was met with a fair amount of booing and general disappointment.
One fan, decked out in a hat and t-shirt bearing the team's new logo, stood across from the podium and shouted "That's terrible. Not even close."
He also called for Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor to lose his job.
"I felt bad for our guy making the announcement," said O'Connor, who quickly stepped in for Fackrell after the booing started. "That's really what I felt. I didn't want him to think they were booing because he made the announcement and not me."
O'Connor said he felt, given the sudden mood change, "I should put my head in the lion's mouth a little bit."
While perhaps not a complete shock, the decision to take Hayward -- a thin 6-foot-8, 207-pound swingman from Butler University -- was a bit of a surprise. After all, the team's No. 1 need was a rangy, long-armed big man, a power forward or center. And when the No. 9 pick rolled around there were still a few of them on the board.
However, instead of going after North Carolina's Ed Davis, Kentucky's Patrick Patterson or Kansas' Cole Aldrich, O'Connor and Co. opted for the 20-year-old Indiana native who captured the country's attention as he led little-known Butler on a surprise run through this year's NCAA tournament.
"We took the best player available," O'Connor said. "And we think that he's a multiple-position player. Winning counts for something. He's been a winner wherever he's been."
Hayward and his Butler teammates came through Salt Lake City during their run to the Final Four, beating No. 1-seeded Syracuse and No. 2 Kansas State in the West Region semifinals and finals.
In those two games -- with O'Connor watching from the stands -- Hayward shot 11-for-21 from the field and averaged 19.5 points and seven rebounds. From there he went on to average 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games at the Final Four.
"The two games here, in the last five or six minutes, he was the best player on the floor," O'Connor said. "And (No. 4 overall pick) Wesley Johnson was on the floor (playing for Syracuse)."
O'Connor added that given Hayward's fairytale run in the tournament, "people are going to aim at him. He's America's darling after the NCAAs."
Speaking to a group of local media via telephone, Hayward downplayed that notion.
"I don't know about 'America's darling', that seems pretty steep for me," he said. "I know that coming into the league every rookie's going to have a target on their back. You're a rookie and you're kind of fresh meat for some people."
Hayward said he was aware of the fans' reaction when his name was called. He said he would be prepared to prove himself and hopefully change some minds.
"For me, I think I'm just going to go in and play hard," he said. "Hopefully I can do some things on the court to turn those (boos) around."
With their second round pick -- No. 55 overall -- the Jazz finally grabbed a power forward/center. They selected Western Kentucky senior Jeremy Evans (6-9, 196) who averaged 10 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots for the Hilltoppers.
"He's intriguing," O'Connor said.
Updated 11:21 p.m.
The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Jazz have selected Butler forward Gordon Hayward with the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft.
Hayward helped lead Butler on its run to the NCAA championship game this spring, which included a win in Salt Lake City that put the Bulldogs in the Final Four. He left for the NBA after only two seasons and averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds as a sophomore.
The pick got a mixed reaction when it was announced Thursday night at EngerySolutions Arena. There were some cheers but also a lot of boos for the Jazz's lottery pick choice.
The Jazz got the New York Knicks' pick through a trade with Phoenix in 2004.
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