Stepp gets the draft call

Gonzaga University’s Blake Stepp, a four-year starter and two-time West Coast Conference player of the year, was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of Thursday’s National Basketball Association draft.

Stepp, a 6-foot-4 guard and native of Eugene, Ore., was the next-to-last player picked in this year’s draft and joined John Stockton, Paul Rogers and Dan Dickau as the only Bulldogs players ever drafted by NBA teams. Stockton and Dickau were both first-round picks, by Utah and Sacramento, respectively. Dickau’s rights were then traded to Atlanta.

Rogers was picked by the Lakers but he never played in the league.

The Timberwolves, who did not have a first-round selection, nabbed Stepp with the 29th pick of the second round and 58th overall.

As a senior last winter, Stepp averaged 14.6 points, 6.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game as GU won the WCC regular-season title with a perfect 14-0 record and finished 28-3 overall after losing to Nevada in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Stepp finished his career as the Bulldogs’ career leader in 3-point baskets with 288. He also ranked No. 2 behind Matt Santangelo in career assists with 640 and No. 4 in career points with 1,670.

Following the 2003-04 season, Stepp was named a second team Associated Press All-American. He was named the WCC’s freshman of the year in 2000-01 and the leagues’ player of they year in 2002-03 and 2003-04.