Bill Self never feared his star player would drop out of the NBA Draft lottery on Thursday night.

Self, Kansas University’s fifth-year basketball coach, remained relaxed while watching the proceedings on TV with his wife and children even when Philadelphia – a team rumored to be quite interested in Julian Wright – passed on the 6-foot-8 KU sophomore at No. 12.

“Not really,” Self said, asked if he was concerned with just two picks left in the coveted lottery – New Orleans at 13 and the Los Angeles Clippers at 14.

“Based on what I had been told in visiting with teams, I felt there were a couple of spots he could have gone earlier. After visiting with his agent today, I felt comfortable. I thought there was a good chance this could be the spot Julian goes.

“I told my family, ‘This is the pick,'” Self said before the Hornets’ choice was announced.

Self’s declaration proved correct.

The Hornets indeed tapped Wright at No. 13. Florida State’s Al Thornton landed the final lottery slot.

“I believe New Orleans believes they got a steal, one of the best upsides in the draft at No. 13,” Self said. “If I was Julian, I’d be excited to get a chance to play with Chris Paul (Hornets’ point guard). It’s a good, talented team in a city where he can make a difference. I think it’s a great fit.”

As a lottery pick, Wright will be well paid. He nets $1,449,300 his rookie season and $1,558,000 his sophomore campaign. He’ll earn $1,666,700 and $2,381,714 the final two years of his contract, with the team having options both seasons.

“From my vantage point, I see it as a good business decision for Julian,” Self said of Wright deciding to leave KU after two seasons. “Anytime you are a lottery pick : if you are mature enough and emotionally stable enough (to play in NBA), it’s something where the risk (in returning to school) could outweigh the reward. I think he made the right choice for his family to leave.

New Orleans Hornets fans react to the announcement that the team had selected 6-foot-8 Kansas University forward Julian Wright with the 13th overall pick in the NBA draft. Fans gathered Thursday in the New Orleans Arena.

“I still believe the right choice is what gives him the best chance to have a career. You will not know that until a few years down the road.”

Some pundits have said Wright might have been one of the top overall picks in the 2008 Draft if he had elected to return to KU a third season.

“I think he’d have had a good chance to be top five, also a potential chance for injury,” Self said. “It’s not a time to second-guess. It’s time to feel good for Julian and his family. He was a great representative of the University of Kansas his two years here. We’d love for him to stay. (But) anytime a guy makes a decision to go and is a lottery pick, I don’t think you should second-guess it.”

As far as what type of impact Wright will have in the pros :

“I think his best basketball is ahead of him. He will not be the player in October he will be two Octobers from now,” Self said. “He will have to get a feel for the NBA game, the day-to-day grind. I would think he’ll be a guy in the rotation right off the bat with a chance to play a ton of minutes.”

Self said he believes Wright can be an NBA All-Star.

“Of all the guys taken in this year’s draft, 10 years from now he has a chance to elevate himself ahead of some guys taken ahead of him because of his potential,” Self said.

¢ Wright on his first purchases: “I am not looking to be flashy, get any crazy stuff. I have good support in my family, keeping me humble and reasonable in my spending. Once in New Orleans, I am looking forward to giving back to the community. I look forward to that in terms of spending.”

¢ Good company: Wright is KU’s highest pick since Kirk Hinrich (No. 7) and Nick Collison (12) were tapped in the 2003 Draft by the Bulls and Sonics.

¢ ESPN’s Dick Vitale on Wright: “He was drafted on potential, just like Thaddeus Young,” Vitale said of Philadelphia’s pick of the Georgia Tech freshman at No. 12 overall. “They were drafted on potential as opposed to finished products you’ve seen for three years.”