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Rather than having his name read out by NBA commissioner Adam Silver at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, where the first round was held, Furphy had his name called by NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum at ESPN’s studio in New York. The Furphy family opted to remain in their New York hotel room, rather than head to the studio.

Furphy’s father Richard said it had been a “tough” couple of days, for there had been “firm feedback” his son would be taken in the first round.

“We were in a hotel room. We didn’t go because we’d sort of had enough of it, the whole ceremony, so we were in a room with his agent and his mum and a few other people,” Richard Furphy said.

This was the first year the draft had been split over two days.

Richard Furphy said that Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had told his son by phone that the franchise was “hot on him for a while”.

The Maribyrnong Sports Academy alum, a 206-centimetre wing who didn’t make a Victorian team until he was 17, had expected to hear his name called anywhere from No. 9 with Memphis to No. 27 with Minnesota in the first round, with Orlando (18) and the New York Knicks (24) tipped by the draft experts to be particularly keen on the Kansas Jayhawk.

Despite being invited to the “green room”, suggesting he was to be selected, Furphy joined Duke star Kyle Filipowski in having to sit and watch as 30 other players heard their names read out on Thursday (AEST). Filipowski had his name called by the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Furphy’s fall to the second round is a major blow to the instant riches of about $3 million - for next season alone - he would have enjoyed had he been a first-round pick. However, the league is littered with players and stars, such as three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic, who were taken in the second round.

The Spurs took Juan Nunez, a Spanish point guard, with the 36th selection. They had snared guard Stephon Castle with their first pick, fourth overall.

Furphy finished his freshman season having started 19 out of 33 games while averaging nine points, 4.9 rebounds and one assist.

His name remained on the list of best available talent by host broadcaster ESPN through the final third of first-round selections, but he continued to be overlooked.

Meanwhile, the NBA could have its first father-son pairing after the Los Angeles Lakers took Bronny James with pick 55, giving him the chance to play with his four-time championship father, LeBron.

Bronny put up underwhelming numbers in his one season with USC, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 36.6 per cent from the field and 26.7 per cent from deep. He also missed the opening month’s action after suffering a cardiac arrest during a pre-season practice.

Melbourne United Next Star Ariel Hukporti was selected with the last pick in the draft and wound up with the New York Knicks, via a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. The German centre averaged 8.4 points, 1.5 blocks and seven rebounds with United last season and has spent three seasons with United as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program.

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