Twin brothers Markieff, right, and Marcus Morris, who played together at Kansas, embrace each other after they were picked No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2011 in Newark, N.J. Markieff was picked by the Phoenix Suns while Marcus was picked by the Houston Rockets.

11:07 p.m.

With the last pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select the University of Washington’s Isaiah Thomas.

That’s a wrap. Be sure to head on over to our draft recap story. Thanks for joining in on the conversation.

10:55 p.m.

We are winding down, with a plethora of foreign players hearing their names called. There are still some fans at the draft going strong as well.

http://yfrog.com/h8nrgirj

50th: Lavoy Allen, Philadelphia 76ers

51st: Jon Diebler, Portland Trailblazers

52nd: Vernon Macklin, Detroit Pistons

53rd: DeAndre Liggins, Orlando Magic

54th: Milan Macvan, Cleveland Cavaliers

55th: E’Twaun Moore, Boston Celtics

56th: Chukwudiebere Maduabum, Los Angeles Lakers

57th: Targuy Ngombo, Dallas Mavericks

58th: Ater Majok, Los Angeles Lakers

59th: Adam Hanga, San Antonio Spurs

10:33

There it is. The Memphis Grizzlies have selected Josh Selby with the 49th overall pick. No doubt much lower than he thought he would go.

Other picks:

47th: Travis Leslie, Los Angeles Clippers

48th: Keith Bensont, Atlanta Hawks

10:15

The Hornets took Josh Harrellson at number 45 just so the NBA’s deputy commissioner would say the name “Josh” and keep all of us on our toes, right?

With the 46th pick, the Lakers take Andrew Goudelock, a guard from the College of Charleston.

10:10 p.m.

It seems tonight is not Keegan’s night to prove himself as an NBA Draft soothsayer. Pick Number 42 rolls on by, with the Pacers taking Davis Bertans out of Slovenia, as do picks 43 (Malcolm Lee, Chicago Bulls) and 44 (Charles Jenkins, Golden State Warriors).

10:03 p.m.

The New Jersey Nets are on the clock with pick number 42. That’s where Tom Keegan predicted Selby would go.

34th: Shelvin Mack, Washington Wizards

35th: Tyler Honeycutt, Sacramento Kings

36th: Jordan Williams, New Jersey Nets

37th: Trey Thompkins, Los Angeles Clippers

38th: Chandler Parsons, Houston Rockets

39th: Jeremy Tyler, Charlotte Bobcats

40th: Jon Leuer, Milwaukee Bucks

41st: Darius Morris, Los Angeles

42nd: Jordan Hamilton, Dallas Mavericks

9:36 p.m.

Four out of the last eight guys’ names have started with the letter “J.” Is that throwing anybody else off, waiting to hear “Josh Selby?”

The Cavs take Justin Harper, from Richmond, at number 32. Duke’s Kyle Singler goes to the Detroit Pistons at 33.

9:30 p.m.

Good luck pronouncing the first pick of the second round, Bojan Bogdanovic, taken by the Miami Heat, who have traded the pick to Minnesota. The Cavs are on the clock again.

9:26 p.m.

Well, that’s the end of the first round and Josh Selby is still on the board. Thoughts? Surprised?

Meanwhile, here is an adorable photo of the Morris twins hugging:

Twin brothers Markieff, right, and Marcus Morris, who played together at Kansas, embrace each other after they were picked No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2011 in Newark, N.J. Markieff was picked by the Phoenix Suns while Marcus was picked by the Houston Rockets.

As for how the rest of the first round worked out:

21st: Nolan Smith, Portland Trailblazers

22nd: Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

23rd: Nikola Mirotic, Houston Rockets

24th: Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder

25th: MarShon Brooks, Marshon Brooks

26th: Jordan Hamilton, Dallas Mavericks

27th: JaJuan Johnson, New Jersey Nets

28th: Norris Cole, Chicago Bulls

29th: Cory Joseph, San Antonio Spurt

30th: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

8:30 p.m.

The Morris twins are addressing the media in the back room.

Here is Markieff’s selection, and the twins sharing a hug backstage:

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2011/jun/23/34690/

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2011/jun/23/34691/

Here’s what’s going down on stage:

18th: Chris Singleton, Washington Wizards

19th: Tobias Harris, Charlotte Bobcats

20th: Donatas Motiejunas, Minnesota Timberwolves

8:16 p.m.

Both Morris twins quite emotional after being drafted. We will have video up shortly of David Stern announcing The Suns’ selection of Markieff and ‘Kieff walking across the stage and to the back room.

Here’s how the next three picks after the Morris twins have played out:

15th: Kawhi Leonard, Indiana Pacers

16th: Nikola Vucevic, Philadelphia 76ers

17th: Iman Shumpert, New York Knicks

7:58

What a story there. The Morris twins were born minutes apart, then drafted just minutes apart. Marcus Morris is drafted right after his brother with the 14th pick overall, going to the Houston Rockets.

7:51 p.m.

And there is the first KU guy off the board. The Phoenix Suns take Markieff Morris with the 13th overall pick. Anybody surprised ‘Kieff went before Marcus? Looks like Marcus is pretty emotional at his table as well, definitely happy for his brother.

Marcus, on the possibility of being drafted by a team other than Phoenix: “It’s not the end of the world. Maybe I’ll send him some flowers or food or something.”

That got some laughs in Jersey.

7:42 p.m.

Alec Burks, of Colorado, the second Big 12 player gone so far, goes to Utah at No. 12.

The twins, coach Manning and coach Self gave him a lot of love when he walked by their table on the way to the handshake with the commish.

Pretty cool.

Great player. He’ll do well in Utah.

Starting to wonder if one of the twins will wind up with the Knicks. I’ve always hoped for that… How about Marcus to Philly at 16 and Markieff to the Knicks at 17. I’ll take it. I’m guessing they would too.

Phoenix is up. This could be Marcus.

7:36 p.m.

Klay Thompson to GSW… What I expected there but the twins are starting to fidget. Gotta be hard to keep waiting. Thing about it is, as soon as you’re picked, all that waiting is forgotten. It’s coming. Maybe back to back…

Utah’s up.

7:30 p.m.

Jimmer!!!! No. 10 to Milwaukee… This is about the time last year when Cole & X started to get antsy… Golden State next.

7:25 p.m.

Kemba Walker goes No. 9 to Charlotte. No Marcus. Gotta think they didn’t expect him to be there and jumped on him when they could.

Tough break for Marcus, but his time is coming. Kemba’s a great player.

Could be any pick now for either twin. Could they be going back-to-back a la Cole and Xavier last year? It’d be pretty cool for my story, but I’ll only be able to get video of one of them if that happens.

We’ll see…

7:19 p.m.

Calipari about to be interviewed in the Green Room. This is why Self has to be here! He’ll get his turn.

7:17 p.m.

Brandon Knight, Kentucky, goes to Detroit. They were looking big man all along so this is kind of surprising, but I’m sure they didn’t expect him to be here. Could be there starting PG for a number of years. Not a bad pick.

Gotta think Markieff’s heart was pounding right there. Mine was. I had camera in one hand, iPhone in the other, just trying to capture whatever I could.

Next…

7:11 p.m.

Another foreign big man, Bismack Biyombo, of Congo, goes to Sacramento at No. 7. They’ll trade him to Charlotte, which means Biyombo could be a teammate of Marcus Morris’ if the Bobcats take Marcus two picks from now…

7:06 p.m.

Washington goes foreign, too, with Jan Vesely, who gets a big cheer from the crowd for the smooch he got from his girlfriend.

7:02 p.m.

Toronto, a foreign team, takes Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania.

Lots of Lithuanians in the crowd tonight, the perfect complement for a few Turkish fans that went crazy when Kanter was taken.

If the twins are two or three inches taller, they go before Thompson and this guy. Those are the breaks.

6:56 p.m.

The first big surprise of the draft… Texas’ Tristan Thompson goes 4 to Cleveland. This was a guy that had been in the teens most of the way.

He’s young, naturally gifted and, the big thing, he’s a big-time defensive presence. You can’t teach that. He’s not yet as tough as he needs to be, but that’ll come.

This could wind up being a phenomenal pick. But it definitely was a surprise. Gotta wonder what the twins are thinking about this one.

Toronto’s up now. All un-drafted players are holding their breaths and thinking “Please Not me, Please Not me, Please Not me, Please Not me.”

6:50 p.m.

Utah takes Enes Kanter… That’s pronounced Innis, just in case you were, um, concerned.

It was between him and Kentucky’s Brandon Knight all week. He’s the anti-Selby. Nobody saw him this year so there’s no telling exactly what he’s capable of.

Seems like a good fit in Utah. If he stays there.

Cleveland going again now. Maybe another foreigner, definitely a big guy.

6:45 p.m.

Derrick Williams, of Arizona, goes No. 2 to Minnesota. Gotta think that makes the twins feel better about what he did in Vegas this year. That was before he broke out.

Nobody had a better tournament than that guy. That includes Kemba Walker.

He was my No. 1 pick. I think he’s gonna be sensational. Great dude, too.

Now the draft begins… Utah at No. 3. Brandon Knight? Enes Kanter? Trade? Wow.

6:41 p.m.

So Kyrie’s gone and we’re under way.

Can’t help but think what’s going through Josh Selby’s head right at this moment. I mean, you know that as recently as a year ago, he thought he was John Wall and he thought he was better than Kyrie Irving. Last year at this time, you gotta think he was sitting there thinking, ‘That’ll be me next year,” when Wall was picked.

Now…. we wait. Gonna be real interesting to see where he goes.

6:39 p.m.

First pick is in. Kyrie Irving, Duke.

Place goes wild. Irving seems really emotional, as you would be. Not pounding his chest or hamming for the cameras, just hugs, handshakes and a little relief. Almost looks like he can’t believe it.

Kid will be a good player but he’s not what we’re used to seeing from the No. 1 overall pick. I mean, last year it was John Wall. Irving is no John Wall. Nice pick, though. Point guards are so critical.

6:36 p.m.

Cleveland is officially on the clock.

Wild crowd here tonight. Great energy, lots of chatter. King James is still getting it, though, even out here. Every time they mention LeBron or show him on the video board via highlights from the 2011 season, the boos are deafening. Seriously. It’s loud. He’s not a liked man.

Here we go.

6:33 p.m.

David Stern’s on the stage. We’re about to get started.

This year’s song that’s bound to be stuck in your head by the end of the night… It comes from the lovely Haley Reinhart, of American Idol, who finished third in this year’s voting.

She was robbed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov-KkwSA5gA

6:29 p.m.

Classic coach Self. He just arrived in the nick of time. Naturally, he showed up with a big smile on his face and a little bounce. Big night for any coach to have two guys picked in the first round and three overall.

Great to see him out here this year. I know the twins are pumped he made it.

6:19 p.m.

Those who might have missed it will probably be thrilled to hear who’s joining the twins at their Green Room table tonight.

Bill Self is supposed to arrive any minute, but assistant coach Danny Manning, a former No. 1 overall pick in this draft, also made the trip. Manning has received a ton of credit for helping the twins get to this point and it’s really cool to see he made the trip.

I spoke to him briefly and he seems to be having a blast. He’s relaxed, smiling and mingling with everyone. I’m sure him being here means a lot to the twins and their family, not to mention any future recruits who might catch wind of it.

6:16 p.m.

ESPN’s pre-draft coverage is in full swing right now and those pesky Knicks fans who made the trip from Manhatan have been going wild over Jimmer Fredette.

Apparently, that’s the guy those fans want. Whether the Knicks’ ownership, which has been in a state of flux lately, grants that wish remains to be seen.

I’m guessing Jimmer’s gone by the time they pick at 17 so they might not have to worry about it.

Can’t say anything but good stuff about Jimmer. He’s been awesome to be around all week and really seems like a good dude. Friendly, kind, courteous, humble. I rooted for him before and I’ll definitely keep pulling for him from here on out.

6:10 p.m.

First up tonight is Cleveland, which has two picks in the top five.

All summer the pick here has been Duke’s Kyrie Irving. I’d be shocked if that’s not the name we here first tonight, but that’s not necessarily because I agree with it.

Irving’s good, real good, but he’s smallish and I think Derrick Williams, of Arizona, has pro star written all over him.

There’s been some talk that Williams, my No. 1 pick, might fall to 3 or even 5 or 6. I doubt it. Guessing he goes 2 unless Cleveland goes wild and goes with him at No. 1.

6:03 p.m.

The lights just came on and the pre-draft hype is over. It’s about time to kick this thing off.

I’ve got another great seat but I don’t have the best view of the twins in the Green Room. Got some good stuff of them before hand, though, including photos of Danny Manning, who made the trip to sit at their table and their mother, Angel.

Markieff’s wearing a gray suit with some pink accents. He looks sharp just like he said he would. Marcus, out of the kindness of his soul, decided to go opposite of his brother and went with a navy suit with a thin pinstripe and similar pink accents.

Great energy here in the building tonight, perhaps New Jersey’s way of selling its city and franchise to future free agents. No sign of Jay Z or the Russian owner yet.

Madison Square Garden last year was classic, but this is a pretty nice set-up here at the Prudential Center. We’re actually in the arena, on the floor, which adds to the feeling that something big is happening here tonight.

The twins are pretty much in the center of the green room, the only table with two customized basketballs on it.

We’ll get started with the picks soon enough, for now scroll through some of the videos and photos below and be sure to check out what I’ve been up to on Twitter all day. @mctait

Gut feeling at go-time: Marcus 9th to Charlotte, Markieff 16th to Phily, Selby early 2nd Rd.

More to come…

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2011/jun/23/34689/

5 p.m.

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2011/jun/23/34688/

2:22 p.m.

photo by: Matt Tait

Markieff Morris prepares for predraft photos Thursday, June 23, 2011, in New York.

Just arrived at the Westin Times Square and, once again, there’s a significantly bigger buzz around the lobby today.

Players are strolling through on their way up to their rooms to get suited up — this time in fine suits instead of shorts and tank tops — and the 65th annual NBA Draft is creeping closer each minute.

No sign of the Morris twins yet, though their mother, Angel, did just walk through the lobby. Yesterday, she was cool, calm and collected, just like her sons. Today, she appears to be a little more frazzled. I wouldn’t call it worried, just anxious and excited.

Mock drafts have changed at least a dozen times today, with movement at the top of the board creating a domino affect on the rest of the first round.

photo by: Matt Tait

Potential NBA draft picks pose for a photo on stage before the 2011 draft Thursday, June 23 in New Jersey.

For whatever reason, it looks like the Twins might be falling a little bit. That’s not because of anything they’ve done, just the impact of the movement at the top.

By falling, we’re still talking about Marcus Morris being taken with the final pick or two in the lottery and Markieff coming in somewhere between 15-19.

As for Josh Selby, not a lot of talk about him out here, but I’m starting to have a better feeling that my prediction of 30th to the Bulls might actually come in. He’s definitely worth taking a flier on and the Bulls, who also have another pick toward the end of the first round could address their main need first and then roll the dice on Selby, a guy who would’ve been a lottery pick last year had he been allowed to jump from high school to the NBA.

Stay tuned in to this blog throughout the night for updates, trade information and videos, photos and analysis from the draft.

We’re getting close now, as the first pick is less than 5 hours away.

While we wait, here’s a quick look at some KU draft facts from the years.

• Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self will be in the “Green Room” at the NBA Draft with the Morris twins – Marcus and Markieff.

• Since 1990 Kansas has had 24 players drafted in the NBA (16 in the first round, eight in the second).

• In all, Kansas has had 71 players drafted in the NBA since 1947, the fourth-most all-time.

• During his tenure at Kansas, Head Coach Bill Self has had nine players selected in the NBA Draft, third most among active coaches over the past eight years.

• Since the genesis of the current lottery system in 1990, Kansas has had eight players selected as lottery picks, including four since 2007.

• The 2010 Draft marked the third time in the current lottery system that two players from Kansas were selected as lottery picks (1998 – Raef LaFrentz [3rd] and Paul Pierce [10th], 2003 – Kirk Hinrich [7th] and Nick Collison [12th], 2010 – Cole Aldrich [11th] and Xavier Henry [12th]).

• In the 2008 Draft, Kansas tied Connecticut and Florida with a record five players drafted in two rounds (Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun).

• Since 2001, Kansas has had 13 players drafted, one behind Connecticut and North Carolina who are tied for the most with 14.

• Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996, Kansas has a league-leading 14 NBA draft picks.

• The 2010 Draft marked the fifth time since 1990 that two players from Kansas were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

• Danny Manning is the only Jayhawk to be drafted with the number one overall pick, selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1988 Draft.

• Draftees by Kansas Coaches: Phog Allen – 7, Dick Harp – 6, Ted Owens – 26, Larry Brown – 8, Roy Williams – 15, Bill Self – 9.

• The Boston Celtics have selected seven players from Kansas since 1953, the most of any NBA team.