Rafael Araújo (basketball)

infobox Euroleague Player
name = Rafael Araújo


position = Center
nickname = Haffa
height_ft = 6 | height_in = 11
weight_lbs = 275
league = Russian Super League
team = Spartak St. Petersburg
nationality = Brazilian
birth_date = birth date and age|1980|8|12
birth_place = Curitiba, Brazil
highschool = Padre Anacleto
college = Arizona Western (2000-2002) BYU (2002-2004)
draft = 8th overall
draft_year = 2004
draft_team = Toronto Raptors
career_start = 2004
career_end =
former_teams = Toronto Raptors (2004–06)
Utah Jazz (2006-07)

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

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".

On December 6, 2003, he scored 32 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against Oklahoma State in BYU's 76-71 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.

Controversy

During the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis, Araújo tested positive for the steroid nandroloneand 3 separate counts of beaver tranquilizer. 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 did not test players for steroid use. [ [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595076947,00.html Deseret Morning News | Araujo finishing steroid suspension ] ]

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. [http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/031004aaq.html Mountain West Conference Reprimands Araujo] , March 9, 2004] He was warned and put on probation for violating the league's sportsmanship policy. 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. [ [http://www.byucougars.com/Filing.jsp?ID=4983 GAME 29 RECAP -- HEARTBREAKER ENDS COUGARS VICTORY STREAK] ]

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. As a rookie, Araújo averaged 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 averaged 11.6 minutes a game, 2.3 points, and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 36.6% from the field.

On June 8, 2006, Araújo was traded to the Utah Jazz with an undisclosed amount of money for Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley. With the Jazz, he played in 28 games, averaging 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 8.9 minutes per appearance.

Araújo's rookie contract expired after the 2006-07 season. After playing with the Utah Jazz Summer League team, Araújo left the NBA and signed a 1-year, $500,000 contract to play for Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia. [ [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695203799,00.html Araujo finds a home with Russian Team] ]

Araújo will be in training camp with the Minnesota Timberwolves for 2008.

Notes

External links

*NBA-profile
*basketball-reference
* [http://www.byucougars.com/basketball_m/profiles/00000001057_mbkb.html Men's Basketball Athlete Profile - Rafael Araujo] @ byucougars.com
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/06/24/gallery.nbabusts/content.1.html NBA Draft Busts]