Basketball News: Houston Rockets Recruit Xinjiang Flying Tigers Star Center Zhou Qi With 43rd Overall Pick

Jun 24, 2016 03:17 PM EDT

(Photo : gettyimages.com) Zhou Qi is set to join the same team that drafted China’s basketball icon Yao Ming in 2002.

Houston Rockets selected the Chinese young center Zhou Qi as its 43^rd overall pick in the recently concluded 2016 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York.

Zhou was the first Chinese player to be selected in the league's annual draft since the year 2007. The 20-year-old center has been playing with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association for the last two seasons.

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The towering 7-foot-2-inches tall native of Xinxiang, Henan is averaging 15.8 points, 9.8 boards and 3.2 blocked shots per game. He helped Xinjiang to a semifinal round finish in the recently concluded 2015-16 season of the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Asia.

While at Xinjiang, Zhou played together with former and current NBA players Andrew Goudelock, Bryce Cotton, and Andray Blatche this season. He has been the CBA blocks leader for two-straight years (2015 and 2016).

"Zhou Qi, speaking of upside, has as high of an upside as anyone in the draft." Rocket general manager Daryl Morey said. "He's a skilled, high basketball IQ player. Can shoot the ball, rebound the ball, block shots. Very mobile for his size. When he makes the NBA, he will have top two or three wingspan in the league. We're very excited he was available with our second pick."

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers took Ben Simmons of the LSU with No. 1 overall pick. The Australian native became the franchise's first top pick in the draft since Allen Iverson was chosen as No. 1 in the 1996 draft.

"I'm happy to be part of the family now," Simmons said. "It's a weight off my chest. I've been looking forward to this day for a while, so I'm glad I've made history, not only for myself but my family and Australian basketball."

Duke's Brandon Ingram was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick and the Boston Celtics selected Jaylen Brown of the University of California as its third overall pick.

TagsZhou Qi, houston rockets, Yao Ming, NBA, 2016 NBA Draft, chinese basketball association, Xinjiang Flying tigers