Ex-NCAA star rips Hawks' No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher: 'Absurd'

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The Atlanta Hawks had the first overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft Wednesday night, and they selected Zaccharie Risacher, the 19-year-old Frenchman. 

At least one observer thinks it was a bad move.

Frank Mason III, college basketball's 2017 National Player of the Year with the Kansas Jayhawks, expressed his opinion about the pick on social media after playing against Risacher, a 6-foot-8 forward, in France last year. 

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Zaccharie Risacher of Bourg-en-Bresse drives to the basket during a game against Paris at Adidas Arena April 28, 2024, in Paris.  (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

"Played this young guy in France this past season; no way he’s the number one pick in the NBA raft lol, but I guess!" Mason posted on X. "Solid young player, but # 1 pick is absurd."

Mason, the 34th overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2017 NBA Draft, bounced around the league from 2017-21, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic before trying his luck overseas. 

HAWKS SELECT FRENCH TEEN ZACCHARIE RISACHER WITH FIRST PICK OF NBA DRAFT

He joined SLUC Nancy in France’s top league, Betclic Élite, where he averaged 15.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists over 21 games last season to earn himself an All-Star Game appearance. 

Risacher also played in the ProA League with JL Bourg-en-Bresse, where he was 18 years old for most of his 32 games. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game over 22 minutes. 

Zaccharie Risacher smiles before the 2024 NBA Draft June 26, 2024, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.  (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via