Rafael Araújo (basketball)

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Rafael Paulo de Lara Araújo (pronounced [hafa'el aɾa'uʒu], or approximately "ha-fa-EL ah-rah-OO-zho") (born August 12, 1980 in Curitiba) is a Brazilian professional basketball player currently with the Spartak St. Petersburg of the Russian Basketball Super League.

[edit] College career

After attending Padre Anacleto High School in São Paulo, Araújo went to the United States to play college basketball, attending Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona. In his freshman season (2000-01), he averaged 12.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, he tallied 17.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, leading the Matadors to a 28-3 record and a top ten national ranking among junior colleges. He was named Region Most Valuable Player and 2nd Team NJCAA All-American.

After finishing his junior college career, Araújo moved to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where as a junior (2002-03), he averaged 12.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game (second in the Mountain West Conference). In his senior season, Araújo led BYU in scoring (18.4 points per game), rebounding (10.1 rebounds per game), steals (43 total), and blocked shots (25). He was named Co-Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference, sharing the honor with Air Force's Nick Welch. He was named 2nd Team NCAA All-American by Basketball Times.

With his size and strength, the 6-foot-11, 290-pound Araújo impressed many pro scouts during his senior season. On December 6, 2003, he dominated a tough Oklahoma State team, totaling 32 points and 17 rebounds in BYU's 76-71 upset victory. He concluded his collegiate career with a 24-point, 12-rebound performance in the Cougars' 80-75 loss to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.

[edit] Controversy

During the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis, Araújo tested positive for the steroid nandrolone. He was given a 24-month suspension from international play. He was subsequently found clean during tests while a player at Brigham Young University, and the NBA does not test athletes for steroid use.^[1]

Araújo was involved in an on-court incident during his senior season at BYU. On March 6, 2004, Araújo was issued a public reprimand by the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for punching UNLV guard Jerel Blassingame during a game.^[2] He was warned and put on probation for violating the league's sportsmanship policy.^[2] Three days later on March 12, in a 54-51 loss to Utah, Araujo was charged with a technical foul for elbowing the Utes' Andrew Bogut in the head in the MWC Tournament.^[3]

[edit] Professional career

The Toronto Raptors selected Araújo with the eighth pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, making him the first college senior drafted that year. His NBA career was mostly disappointing with him seeing limited action as a rookie, averaging 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game. He set a career-high with 14 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings on January 5, 2005. Days later, on January 9, he scored a career-high 14 points against the Golden State Warriors. He later matched that total against the Kings on November 25, 2005.

In the 2005-06 season, he again had a disappointing year and had trouble getting playing time, averaging 11.6 minutes a game, 2.3 points, and 2.8 rebounds while shooting a dismal 36.6% from the field. Shortly after this second disappointing season, Toronto GM Rob Babcock was fired, and it was rumored that the firing, in part, had to do with the picking of Araújo.

On June 8, 2006, Araújo was traded to the Utah Jazz with an undisclosed amount of money for Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley. Many viewed this as a new beginning for Araújo, a chance for him to change the direction of his career. He worked hard in Utah, dropping his weight from 295 to 275 in an effort to improve his athleticism. However, he did not fit in well in Utah's offense, and he played sparingly during the 2006-07 season. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 28 games, averaging only 8.9 minutes per appearance.

Araújo's rookie contract expired after the 2006-07 season, and Jazz owner Larry H. Miller said publicly that he liked Araújo and hoped he could return to the team the following season. Araújo played for Utah in the 2007 Rocky Mountain Revue, but the Jazz signed 7-foot-1 Kyrylo Fesenko during the offseason, filling the roster spot that Araújo held previously. With that opportunity gone, Araújo left the NBA and signed a 1-year, $500,000 contract to play for Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia.^[4]

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Rafael Araújo (basketball) Info Page at NBA.com
• Rafael Araújo (basketball) Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
• Men's Basketball Athlete Profile - Rafael Araujo @ byucougars.com
• NBA Draft Busts